Reading the Unknown - Maze Runner Trilogy
by xxBritishBookwormxx
Summary: Thomas & co read the book fic with a twist. 9 students and 2 teachers are sent from Glade High into a place which in respect is their alternate reality, How will the students cope when they meet their counterparts and read a book on teens lives in the glade? And how much is their lives actually alike despite being in two different worlds? Warnings are on the inside! READ AND REVIEW
1. MR - Chapter 1

_**Pairings: Eventual Newt/Alby, Thomas/Teresa (Minor), Thomas/Brenda**_

_**Disclaimer: I am going to say this now! I do not own anything! I am not James Dashner and I am making no profit from this fic, I am simply doing this for the entertainment for the audience.**_

_**Warnings: As you have seen this is an T rated fic, there wont be a lot of swearing in this fic except for the made up language of the book. This story is rated T because it is a slash (however minor) and the frequent talk about sex (you can blame Minho for that). Also, if you have read the books you will know that there is some triggering's for suicide, though that wont be the biggest thing there will also be a bit of torture (not very badly) in this (You can blame rat man for that, the Slint head.)**_

_**People from glade high will have their names in normal writing whilst the people from the glader universe will have their names in italics!**_

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Glade high was not a normal school, it was a school sent by Satan himself for evil teachers to educate boys and girls with 'super' intelligence.

However, the school could have never prepared Thomas Hunter for this.

It was an average Tuesday morning they were all standing in straight lines in the hall when his, and multiple other boys and a few girls lives changed forever.

Headmistress Paige came in like always for morning briefing, only this time her normal kind smile was not to be seen on her face. In contrast her face was set into a grim line.

"Children of Glade High I am here to inform you that some students and teachers will not be spending the next few weeks here, instead they will be going on an… adventure" the last words seemed forced and some of the students turned confused glances at their friends.

"Wooooo yeah" someone cheered from the back and Thomas couldn't hide his smirk as he knew who it was already. Minho.

"Thank you Minho that will be enough" Ava Paige said strictly making the hall chuckle.

"You will be going on an adventure into finding about an alternate reality" Paige said gravely and most of the younger years turned to glance scared at each other. "I have a list here of the students and teachers who will be going on this journey to read about what will happen in this alternate reality. Though the letter sent to me warns me to tell you that not everything that happens in this book will may not happen actually to you in this time, so you do not need to fear" She held up a piece of paper and now even the teachers looked intrigued as to who will be on it.

"When the headmistress calls your name you will come to the front" Professor Janson, their science teacher and deputy head instructed and Thomas had to bite down a grimace from just looking at the man's ratty face, he really did give him the creeps.

"Chuck Harries – First year" Ava Paige called out.

Thomas watched intrigued as the small eleven year old walked timidly up to the front of the room, not getting too close to rat man.

"Brenda Burke – Fifth Year. Teresa Agnes – Fourth Year" Two girls walked to the front, both of their faces frowning in confusion, they too stayed clear from Janson who was starting to go red with anger.

"Minho Far – Seventh year."

"What the shuck is going on here?" Minho grunted bewildered whilst making his way up to the front.

"Alby Jackson – Seventh year. Gally Wagner – Sixth Year" The whole room burst out into laughter at the boy's name and even Thomas couldn't help but smirking as Gally walked to the front, because Thomas was right by the isle he was able to hear the boy groan "I'm going to kill my mother for calling me Gally when she fully well knew my second name was Wagner."

"Newton Rodgers – Sixth Year" Thomas observed as his friend Newt limped up to the front. No one knew what exactly Newt did to gain the limp, but what they did know was that the tall boy didn't want to talk about it whenever the topic came up he would just laugh it off. Thomas smiled warmly when the boy finally got to the front, his fair hand getting taken into Alby's dark one in an almost reassurance. Thomas couldn't wait for the day those two would just admit their feelings for each other.

Paige listed off the last few names of "Aris Jones – Fourth Year. Jorge Kornecki – Teacher."

The schools literally only nice teacher, their PE teacher looked surprised when his name got mentioned going over to stand by Brenda who everyone knows who he legally adopted seven years ago before she even arrived at glade high. Jorge adopted her despite only being twenty five at the time, he was practically a young adult adopting a child.

"Adrian Janson"

"Rat man" Minho coughed into his hand and the hall once again erupted into laughter as the said rat man turned an ugly shade of puce.

"And lastly Thomas Hunter – Fifth Year" All time seemed to stop when Thomas heard his name being called out. He slowly made his way to the front, sharing a confused look with Brenda who just shrugged, she too not having an idea what in hell was going on. "If you would all like to follow me, I will now be taking you to your destination."

The eleven all obediently followed the headmistress all in their own way. Most of them like Teresa, Thomas and Jorge all looked confused as they shifted down the halls. Some people like Minho and Newt looked positively calm, but then again Newt was always calm and Minho was always had a carefree smirk on his face as he swaggered down the halls… Except when he's angry that's a whole different story. Chuck looked like he was ready to shoot klunk all over the place, Alby seemed like he was angry along with Rat Man. Lastly, Brenda, Gally and Aris just looked as casual as always stepping down the hall as if it was like any other normal day.

Finally, after many turns and bumps they were directed into a small class room which was only the totally opposite side of the school. Relatively empty except for what usually was in the class rooms everyone looked round confused. Thomas could feel anger start to bubble inside of him, he hated being in the unknown.

"Now listen carefully, you are all about to go through a I think it was called a flat tran as the letter called it" Ava explained in a matter of fact tone.

"How the hell do we know that this Klunk isn't going to lead us Shanks to our shucking death?" Minho yelled hotly, his face starting to turn scarlet.

"Is this enough proof?" A voice said from behind them making all the teenagers and teachers just, except Headmistress Paige.

Turning around, Thomas felt his jaw drop in shock; there clear as day standing curtly in front of them was another Ava Paige.

Chuck looked between the two headmistresses and looked as though he was about to faint as his face went from pale to green in a matter of seconds.

"I am Ava Paige from a different dimension, furthermore from this time we are going into the future" _Ava Paige _explained and Thomas felt as though he was going to be sick with shock. Without any more explanation the new woman went to the front of the classroom, getting out a remote she pointed it directly at the wall.

Nothing happened for a second, then all of a sudden a gap was made in the wall making Newt shout "BLOODY HELL" at the top of his voice in fright.

"This is a Flat Tran, you will be going through this and into the glade where you too will also meet your counterparts. Good luck and remember not everything will be as it seems, some things may happen to you and some may not… Some things may have already happened" Thomas swore she looked over at Newt as she said this but he took no notice instead trying to get as far away from the cloudy door in the wall as possible.

A minute went by and no one went through.

With an agitated growl Minho shouted "Shuck this I'm just going through" taking off at a run into the flat Tran. After no screaming was heard from the other side of the door it brought confidence into everybody else with Newt limping his way forward next into the Flat Tran.

One by one everyone went through until it was just Thomas and the two Ava Paige's left.

"Thomas" _Paige _said suddenly making Thomas stop in his tracks on the way to the door. "Really do not forget that not everything that will happen there will happen here, just as some things what an aspect here will never happen in my world." With that last warning she nodded her head for him to go through the door.

The Flat Tran was cold against his skin, making him feel as though he had just walked outside on a windy day. And it was dark… Very dark.

Slowly, light started to illuminate from this seemingly never ending tunnel and rays of sunshine came blazing onto his face.

Shading his eyes he looked round the place he was now in, it was a sort of dome, about the size of a few football pitches and was covered totally in vegetation on the ground.

"Where am I?" he muttered to himself not expecting a reply.

"You Tommy are at the Glade" a distinct English accent told him and Thomas smirked knowing it was Newt. Spinning round on the spot, Thomas was taken aback by what he saw.

It was Newt, but it wasn't the Newt he knew. This one seemed to have a dress sense more of plain short sleeved T shirt and jeans whereas the Newt he knew he had never seen without a 80's band top on and a hoody.

Looking round wide eyed he noticed that all these boys were wearing more or less the same things, only in different colours. Scanning the crowed he almost fainted when he spotted… him.

He was the same height, had the same green eyes, same brown hair… It was him. And this him looked just a dumbfounded he expected he looked.

"Hey shuck face get over here" Minho yelled a smirk on his face from behind the crowed. He knew this was the Minho he knew because he was wearing the bandana round his left wrist as a fashion statement.

Thomas raced to his friend, spotting that all his friends had now sat in a semi-circle on the floor with mats underneath them, even the teachers were sat on the floor.

"Well It's nice of you to join us, we were told by the creators what you've been told so blaady blaady bla we're meant to read these shucking books" _Alby _said seriously, glaring down at the people and motioning towards the books that were in the centre of this medium sized circle. There were twenty two people there no more no less. Only people from his world and their counter parts, also four new people who came today by the names of _Brenda, Jorge, Aris and Janson._

The gladers all took their places opposite making this a now full circle.

"Which Shank wants to read first?" _Minho _asked clapping his hands together and looking around the group as if they were children making Brenda snort.

"Even in a different world he's bloody sarcastic" Newt shook his head fondly.

"I will" Jorge volunteered not looking at his counterpart who was eyeing him suspiciously. He too was sat next to their version of Brenda. Coughing a little he stated "The Maze Runner."

"We can all read the title you know" Minho huffed with a smirk on his face making Jorge look up over the book.

"I haven't even started reading this yet and you're already interrupting me. If you don't stop I won't hesitate to put you in detention when we get back" Jorge threatened and Minho put his hands up in a dramatic surrender making all the gladers and the High school gladers laugh.

**He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air.**

"That doesn't sound like a nice place to begin a new life" Teresa whispered wondering where the book was going on about.

All the gladers shuddered knowing that the book was referring to the Box, the transportation which ruined their lives by taking them into this hell hole.

**Metal ground against metal; a lurching shudder shook the floor beneath him. He fell down at the sudden movement and shuffled backward on his hands and feet,**

"Anyone want to make a bet that this is going to be in Thomas' point of view" _Chuck _smirked knowing how dramatic the older boy could be.

Everyone nodded looking over at the two Thomas' who were blushing madly with embarrassment.

**drops of sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool air. His back struck a hard metal wall; he slid along it until he hit the corner of the room. Sinking to the floor, he pulled his legs up tight against his body, hoping his eyes would soon adjust to the darkness.**

"Yep that is definitely green bean" _Newt _sniggered and both Thomas' sent him a betrayed look.

"You're meant to be my friend"_ Thomas_ yelled pointing an accusing finger at _Newt _dramatically.

"Yes I am but oh well" The blonde stuck his tongue out.

"Holy Klunk I feel so betrayed" Thomas exasperated pretending to faint on the ground.

"How the hell can you say you're not melodramatic" Brenda snorted in confusion, Thomas was always like this making a big deal out of everything. That's why he would make such a good narrator on a book.

**With another jolt, the room jerked upward like an old lift in a mine shaft.**

Once again the gladers shivered.

**Harsh sounds of chains and pulleys, like the workings of an ancient steel factory, echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls with a hollow, tinny whine. The lightless elevator**

"Lift" Newt grumbled half-heartedly earning a push from Alby who watched as the boy sprawled to the floor.

Everyone looked on in amusement as Newt yelped. Though they were already sat down on the floor, the force of the push had sent Newt down, however Newt had a grip on Alby's shirt pulling the dark skinned boy on top of him.

They stayed like that for a moment both looking into each other's eyes, Newts face was bright red and both were unaware of the others watching them and the other _Newt _sending _Alby _a longing look.

"Wow there's sexual tension between Newt and Alby even in your world" _Minho _laughed along with everyone else causing Newt to blush even more and for Alby to push himself off the taller boy. Unfortunately _Minho_ was sat right next to _Alby _and the black boy swiftly punched the Asian boy in the face leaving him too sprawling on the floor.

"Ouch why did you shucking do that?" _Minho _growled in frustration getting up onto his feet and getting ready to attack _Alby._

"SIT DOWN" _Rat man _roared making everyone go silent though people couldn't hide their smirks. All it took was for Gally to start sniggering out his nose and everyone erupted into a mirthful laughter.

Both Janson's were both shaking with anger. The science teacher Janson was fuming, if he was to use corporal punishment on the students he would have hell to pay with their parents. However, he then suddenly grinned evilly looking at one student he could hurt. An orphan who is under the schools authority and had no parents, at least not in the same country. The student that if he was to hurt it would also send all the other students into a rage filled mob but he knew they would do nothing to hurt him if he threatened this student even more.

"Okay, Okay settle down" _Jorge _instructed with a chuckle nodding for his counterpart to continue with the story.

**swayed back and forth as it ascended, turning the boy's stomach sour with nausea; a smell like burnt oil invaded his senses,**

Both Brenda's wrinkled their noses in disgust.

**making him feel worse. He wanted to cry, but no tears came; he could only sit there, alone, waiting. **

Jorge smirked at the next line, secretly laughing his head off on the inside.

_**My name is Thomas**_**, he thought. **

"I KNEW IT!" _Chuck _roared happily and started doing his own little victory dance.

"Oh shut up Chuck" _Thomas _laughed pulling his younger friend down onto the floor again so that he was sprawled like a star fish onto his back.

**That … that was the only thing he could remember about his life.**

"That must be awful, to only know you're name" Aris shuddered at the thought, horrified at the thought of not being able to remember his girlfriend Rachael and his family.

"Well you do and so far there is no sign we're going to get our memories back" _Aris _explained almost bitterly, almost knowing that it wasn't the others fault that they are from a different universe.

**He didn't understand how this could be possible. His mind functioned without flaw, trying to calculate his surroundings and predicament. Knowledge flooded his thoughts, facts and images, memories and details of the world and how it works.**

"We don't go to a school for extreme intellectuals for nothing you know" Gally laughed making Thomas roll his eyes good naturedly.

_Gally _and _Thomas _looked confusedly at each other, in their world the two absolutely hated each other but in theirs they seem to get along. Not sure if you would call them friends exactly but they definitely got along all right.

**He pictured snow on trees, running down a leaf-strewn road, eating a hamburger, the moon casting a pale glow on a grassy meadow, swimming in a lake, a busy city square with hundreds of people bustling about their business. **

"Wow it took us a good hour before we were remembering stuff like that" _Alby _whistled obviously impressed.

**And yet he didn't know where he came from,**

"California, America" Thomas answered with a smirk.

**or how he'd gotten inside the dark lift, or who his parents were.**

"Marie and Patrick" Thomas answered yet again feeling sadness creep up into his heart as he said the latter name.

**He didn't even know his last name.**

"Hunter"

_Thomas _looked over at his counterpart, a happy smile on his face "Thomas Hunter… I like the sound of that."

**Images of people flashed across his mind, but there was no recognition, their faces replaced with haunted smears of colour.**

Brenda shivered sadly, thinking of her parents and going close to Jorge who held his book with one hand and placed his other arm over her shoulder, giving his adoptive daughter (though Brenda felt as though they had more of a very close Uncle and niece relationship rather than father and daughter) a reassuring squeeze of the shoulders.

**He couldn't think of one person he knew, or recall a single conversation. **

**The room continued its ascent, swaying; Thomas grew immune to the ceaseless rattling of the chains that pulled him upward. A long time passed.**

"Slint head you do know you're only on it for about half an hour" _Gally _said viciously causing the other Gally and Thomas to flinch back and look at each other in shock.

**Minutes stretched into hours, although it was impossible to know for sure because every second seemed an eternity. No. He was smarter than that.**

"That's good to hear" Minho snorted earning a playful jab in the ribs from Thomas.

**Trusting his instincts, he knew he'd been moving for roughly half an hour. **

"Oh" _Gally's _face started to tinge a bit red and he tried his best not to make eye contact with any of the Thomas'.

**Strangely enough, he felt his fear whisked away like a swarm of gnats caught in the wind, replaced by an intense curiosity.**

"Oh shuck, for Thomas that is not a good thing to be happening" Teresa groaned winking playfully at Thomas who blushed.

**He wanted to know where he was and what was happening. With a groan and then a clonk, the rising room halted; the sudden change jolted Thomas from his huddled position and threw him across the hard floor.**

"You always have been quite clumsy, hell of a fast runner but clumsy" Jorge laughed earning a groan from Thomas who put his face into his hands as everyone laughed at him.

**As he scrambled to his feet, he felt the room sway less and less until it finally stilled. Everything fell silent. **

Jorge didn't read for a second earning some quizzical glances. Then all of a sudden he roared at the top of his voice.

**A minute passed.**

Everyone jumped out of their seats, Chuck as to going so far that he farted with fright.

_Newt _had his hand on his chest breathing deeply "Why the hell did you do that, you almost gave me a shucking heart attack."

Jorge couldn't help but laugh, he loved to just tease his students and now the new gladers were also his victims.

**Two. He looked in every direction but saw only darkness; he felt along the walls again, searching for a way out. But there was nothing, only the cool metal.**

"I would be so claustrophobic in that" Teresa shivered as did the other _Teresa._

"Good job you were knocked out then" _Alby _muttered under his breath but the girl had heard.

"What?" Teresa looked over to the dark skinned boy her face marring a frown of confusion.

"What?"

"I said what first."

"No you didn't"

"Yes I did"

"What?"

Everyone was watching the two with smirks on their faces, Newt could tell that _Alby _was going to explode soon as he knew what his friends face went like when he was angry.

"Okay all of you just bloody shut the shuck up" _Newt _said calmly putting a hand on _Alby's _shoulder in order to calm the older boy down.

**He groaned in frustration; his echo amplified through the air, like the haunted moan of death.**

"Why the shuck would you use a simile like that?" _Aris _looked between both Thomas' in horror.

"He likes to be dramatic, you should hear his stories in English" Brenda sniggered and Thomas could feel that his face was once again getting hot.

**It faded, and silence returned. He screamed, called for help, pounded on the walls with his fists.**

"Melodramatic sod" Minho snorted with his own humour.

**Nothing. **

**Thomas backed into the corner once again, folded his arms and shivered, and the fear returned. He felt a worrying shudder in his chest, as if his heart wanted to escape, to flee his body.**

"Thomas you would make an amazing author you know that" Janson looked intrigued and Thomas once again had to bite down his look of disgust at the rat man.

"I would never do anything you want me to, you rat faced old coot" Thomas grumbled angrily earning sniggers of laughter from Minho and Chuck who were sat on either side of him.

"_**Someone … help … me!"**_** he screamed; each word ripped his throat raw.**

"Wow I wonder what would have happened if we had left you down there for any longer Tommy" _Newt _laughed slapping _Thomas _on the back.

"I think I would have probably klunked myself" Thomas smirked looking over to the glade version of his British friend.

**A loud clank rang out above him and he sucked in a startled breath as he looked up. A straight line of light appeared across the ceiling of the room, and Thomas watched as it expanded.**

"I bet you thought you had died and gone to Heaven or something" _Teresa _laughed, she had not had that experience of what it would have been like to be in the box awake as she was knocked out for the whole ride… fortunately.

**A heavy grating sound revealed double sliding doors being forced open. After so long in darkness, the light stabbed his eyes; he looked away, covering his face with both hands.**

"Awwwwwww you were so cute that day we found you" _Minho _teased _Thomas _pinching one of his cheeks in a childlike way only to have his hand slapped away by an irritated _Thomas. _

_Minho _couldn't help but bark with laughter.

**He heard noises above—voices—and fear squeezed his chest.**

"What you're afraid of us?" _Newt _said in a teasing tone putting his hand to his chest in a dramatic way.

"Nope not you Newt, I don't think anyone could be afraid of you… you're too nice" _Thomas _told the boy who smiled kindly back at him.

"Yeah not even in our world you could be afraid of Newt" Minho laughed as Newt blushed yet again.

Jorge looked at the book and smirked "How about we play a game? You read the next line and then you have to pass the book to who you think said it and then that person will say it" Jorge instructed to his students who all grinned excitedly. Turning to the gladers he then instructed "Then you need to tell us at the end if we got it right." Everyone nodded and Jorge smirked as he tossed the book to Alby.

"**Look at that shank."**

Alby shook his head, a small smile on his lips, yes that was something he would very much say. Looking at the next line he didn't need to throw the book because Newt was sat right next to him.

"**How old is he?" **

Newt just laughed as he read the next line throwing the book over to Gally.

"**Looks like a klunk in a T-shirt." **

Slapping his face with his hand, Gally reluctantly threw the book over to Minho who laughed before he read his line.

"**You're the klunk, shuck-face."**

The book was then passed right back to Alby.

"**Dude, it smells like feet down there!" **

Which was again passed to Newt.

"**Hope you enjoyed the one-way trip, Greenie."**

And lastly Newt threw the book to Chuck who failed to catch it on time earning a hit on the conk by a book. "Ouch" Chuck whimpered before saying the line.

"**Ain't no ticket back, bro." **

_Alby _smirked and once again nodded with an impressed look on his face "seven out of seven."

The book was then passed back to Jorge who continued to read out loud.

**Thomas was hit with a wave of confusion, blistered with panic. The voices were odd, tinged with echo; some of the words were completely foreign—others felt familiar.**

"Shank, Slint, Klunk, Greenie, Shuck" _Chuck _listed off the words he remembered Thomas had a hard time coming to grips with at the start when he first arrived a couple of days ago.

**He willed his eyes to adjust as he squinted toward the light and those speaking. At first he could see only shifting shadows, but they soon turned into the shapes of bodies—people bending over the hole in the ceiling, looking down at him, pointing.**

"Have you ever heard it's rude to point?" _Thomas _tried to defend himself no matter how late the comeback was earning a roll of eyes from all around.

**And then, as if the lens of a camera had sharpened its focus, the faces cleared. They were boys, all of them—some young, some older.**

"Oh my god, all boys locked up together… How can you even survive without it?" Minho looked scandalised.

"Survive without what?" _Teresa _asked looking at Minho as if he was stupid.

"Sex" the boy flailed his arms in the air trying to prove how big this point is. "I'm only seventeen and I've already banged about three quarters of the female population at Glade high school… those who of age of course." Then he thought a bit more "I know all gay sex and all but if you're like us the only shucking gays in our school are Newt and Alby and Alby hasn't even gotten out of the closet yet."

All the boys in the glade began to blush furiously.

"Minho… Two words… Shut up" Alby growled his face red with boiling anger.

"Trust me when I say that when you live in the Glade, you have much higher priorities than getting laid" _Newt _explained, though did give a hint of a longing sideways glance towards _Alby _but the other boy didn't seem to notice neither did the dark skinned boys counterpart he was too busy looking ready to kill Minho.

"Wait you're only seventeen and you've managed to have sex with so many girls who are of age that only gave you what two years…" Aris looked as though he might just faint.

"Two years is quite a long time" _Gally smirked._

"Not at our school, it's like all girls have got padlocks on their knickers" Aris explained making all the boys burst out into laughter.

After the laughter died down Minho explained with a winning grin "I said they were of age… I never said I was."

And with that Jorge felt it was best to continue with the story before anything else got out of hand. That and if looks could kill Minho would be a pile of ashes on the floor by now at the seething look Janson was giving him.

**Thomas didn't know what he'd expected, but seeing those faces puzzled him. They were just teenagers. Kids. Some of his fear melted away, but not enough to calm his racing heart. **

"It's seeing my face, you thought I was your guardian angel" _Chuck _said in a girly tone slapping _Thomas _lightly on the cheek twice making the latter snort.

**Someone lowered a rope from above, the end of it tied into a big loop. Thomas hesitated, then stepped into it with his right foot and clutched the rope as he was yanked toward the sky. Hands reached down, lots of hands, grabbing him by his clothes, pulling him up.**

"You do know I can climb, I managed to pull fatty up the shucking wall" _Thomas _laughed nodding his head over to _Alby _who was now turning his angry glare on at _Thomas _though shivered as he thought about the changing he went through after the younger boy had successfully gotten him out of the maze.

"I am not fat" _Alby_ growled folding his arms.

"Dude, you weren't the one pulling you up a wall… you're a bloody heavy shank" _Thomas_ said with wide grave eyes.

**The world seemed to spin, a swirling mist of faces and colour and light. A storm of emotions wrenched his gut, twisted and pulled; he wanted to scream, cry, throw up.**

"Ew I hope you didn't throw up on me" Gally said in disgust, his nose wrinkling slightly.

**The chorus of voices had grown silent, but someone spoke as they yanked him over** **the sharp edge of the dark box. And Thomas knew he'd never forget the words. **

"**Nice to meet ya, shank," the boy said. "Welcome to the Glade."**

"That's the end of the chapter" Jorge said putting the book down.

"I'll read next" _Brenda _opted taking the book from the counterpart of her uncle figure.

* * *

**_So what did you think? First chapter was really hard to do because there was hardly any dialogue coming from the book for people to banter about..._**

**_I do take constructive criticism, but only CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. People who just go on and tell me how bad this story is and give me nothing to help make it better will just be ignored... I am sorry but it really just gets on my nerves..._**

**_Okay so who do you think Janson was talking about when he was going on about a person he can get away with corporal punishment with? I have a poll on my profile and vote who you think it is :D_**

**_Please, please, please review!_**


	2. MR - Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer: Not James Dashner!_**

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Holding her hands out ready to catch the book, _Brenda _smiled when the catch had been successful sending over at Chuck who flushed in embarrassment.

Taking a deep breath, she began to read.

**The helping hands didn't stop swarming around him until Thomas stood up straight and had the dust brushed from his shirt and pants.**

"That seems a whole lot more welcoming than the day I arrived at Glade High" Thomas raised an eyebrow at Minho who chuckled sheepishly.

"Yeah sorry about that" Minho apologised sincerely still chuckling and running his fingers through his dark hair in a nervous habit.

"Why what happened?" _Gally _came closer intrigued as to what the counterpart of another person he hated in Glade had done to his enemy.

"Thomas may have accidentally become the victim of my latest prank set up for Rat Man" Minho said in an almost guilty manner.

All the gladers and students laughed whilst Janson sent a look of pure loathing towards his student, a look of evil crossed his face as he thought of the victim to his corporal punishment.

"Why what was the prank?" _Teresa _giggled in mirth.

"Let's just say I wasn't able to get the blue out of my hair for two weeks after it" Thomas sent a playful glare at Minho who barked with laughter.

Teresa chuckled remembering arriving the next day as the newest new student and coming across a blue haired kid as she got lost… From that day on they have been best friends.

**Still dazzled by the light, he staggered a bit. He was consumed with curiosity but still felt too ill to look closely at his surroundings. **

"That was probably for the best shuck face considering you gonna find out your about to live in a maze full of maniac boys" _Alby _grunted wishing he had something to sit on rather than just their thin beds.

**His new companions said nothing as he swivelled his head around, trying to take it all in.**

"Just like day one of Glade High" Thomas sighed it seemed like years ago since he turned up at Glade high when in actual fact it had only eleven months since he'd started.

**As he rotated in a slow circle, the other kids snickered and stared; some reached out and poked him with a finger. **

"Have you ever heard poking is rude?" _Thomas _once again came back with a very late and lame comeback.

_Newt _shook his head in half-hearted disgust "Give it up you bloody Klunk head."

All _Thomas _could do was stick his tongue out at his friend who just rolled his eyes in fake annoyance.

**There had to be at least fifty of them, their clothes smudged and sweaty as if they'd been hard at work,**

"That's because we bloody was" _Chuck _said in shock, his voice going high pitched.

**all shapes and sizes and races, their hair of varying lengths. **

"With Newt's being the longest" _Minho _snorted leaning over and ruffling the boys blonde shoulder length hair.

The Newt from Glade high smiled sadly taking a strand of his hair and playing with it between his fingers knowing it won't be long until he will have to cut it.

"What's wrong? You had that look" Alby asked in concern taking the taller boys hand into his and giving it a small squeeze.

Shaking his head, Newt just smiled this time brighter though making his whole face light up squeezing the hand back in reassurance.

Alby looked hesitant but nodded nevertheless, trusting his friend.

That's what broke Newt the most, the fact that his friends all of them trusted him so much, and then one day he will have to lay this bombshell on them.

**Thomas suddenly felt dizzy, his eyes flickering between the boys and the bizarre place in which he'd found himself.**

"You shucks made me really feel left out" _Thomas _said melodramatically pretending to wipe a fake tear from his eye.

This only caused everyone to either roll their eyes in half-hearted annoyance or to giggle.

**They stood in a vast courtyard several times the size of a football field,**

"Wait is that American Football or English Football?" Newt inquired earning another jab to the ribs by Alby.

"This is in the head of Thomas so I'd expect he was talking about American, considering he is American." Jorge explained in a matter of fact way.

"Good that" Newt said after a while. "They're around the same size anyway."

"Why are there two different footballs?" _Chuck _asked sounding beyond confused.

"The Americans didn't realise that they spent most of the game with the ball in their han- oof" Newt started to explain but was cut off when Alby pushed him onto the floor, this time though he didn't go down with the other.

"You know that's not the reason why" Aris rolled his eyes at the British man who looked as though he was struggling to get up a bit, but Aris took no notice.

"But we don't actually know the reason why either, we sort of just went with it" Jorge answered in defeat.

"You are a shucking awful PE teacher you know that" Chuck said bravely but cowered back when Jorge turned to glare heatedly at him.

**surrounded by four enormous walls made of grey stone and covered in spots with thick ivy. **

Everyone from Glade high looked around to admire, in some sickening way, the scenery.

"I think I would go crazy in here" Brenda admitted with a shaky breath.

"Good job you didn't get put into it then, thanks to moi muchahcho" _Jorge _spoke in a dramatic tone nudging _Brenda _who just rolled her eyes and nudged him back.

However, the girl couldn't help but be thankful or _Jorge _if it wasn't for him she would probably be dead by now. The day he took her under his wing, was the day _Brenda _could fully restart her new life.

**The walls had to be hundreds of feet high and formed a perfect square around them, each side split in the exact middle by an opening as tall as the walls themselves that, from what Thomas could see, led to passages and long corridors beyond.**

"The Maze" _Gally_ said hauntingly making all the students from Glade High turn to look at the walls which were currently closed despite it being the middle of the day.

"The creators said the maze won't open until we've read all the books, to which I'm thankful for… Don't really want to become shucking griever meat whilst reading about our lives" _Minho _shivered hating the grievers with all he could.

Thomas' eyes widened when he heard 'griever meat' "What the shuck are grievers?"

None of the gladers answered, knowing that sooner or later _Newt_ and _Alby_ will be giving _Thomas_ a tour in the book and that the students will find out then.

"**Look at the Greenbean," a scratchy voice said;**

"Gally" All the students and Gladers said out loud making the two Gally's blush.

"My voice is not scratchy" Gally tried to defend himself in his constant scratchy voice.

"It is" Chuck couldn't help but chuckle earning a half-hearted whack to the head from Gally.

However, the other _Gally _was slowly turning red from anger, "Why do you always shucking pick on me?"

"Because you bloody ask for it you shank" _Newt _explained eyes trained on _Gally _who was looking furiously back at him. "Try not acting so stuck up your own arse for once and talk to people."

_Gally _grumbled something under his breath but didn't fight back, knowing it was an argument he could never win.

**Thomas couldn't see who it came from. "Gonna break his shuck neck checkin' out the new digs." Several boys laughed.**

Thomas stuck his tongue out at Gally who just rolled his eyes.

"You know you're not a very nice person" Gally said to his counterpart causing for _Minho _to burst into fits of laughter.

"Even your double ganger knows you're a shucking prude" _Minho _continued with his laughter.

_Gally _rolled his eyes in annoyance placing his knees up to his chest and resting his head on them, trying to disguise his look of forlorn.

"Minho shut up so I can continue" _Brenda _sighed tiredly though brightened up a bit as Minho immediately stopped laughing.

"**Shut your hole, Gally," a deeper voice responded.**

"Alby" All of them said once again some of them chuckling as to what he said to _Gally_.

**Thomas focused back in on the dozens of strangers around him. He knew he must look out of it—he felt like he'd been drugged.**

"Take drugs and you're immediately kicked out" Janson threatened causing Thomas to roll his eyes.

"We know, you tell us every day in your science lesson" Aris said in an almost bored tone.

Janson eyes once again flared up into hatred, he hated children with a passion.

**A tall kid with blond hair and a square jaw sniffed at him, his face devoid of expression.**

"Newt" Alby chuckled putting an arm over the boys shoulder as he noticed him shivering. "You alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine just a bit cold" Newt reassured snuggling further into the warmth of Alby.

_Newt _looked at his counterpart suspiciously but decided not to say anything, instead looking at _Alby _and wishing he would make his shucking mind up about him.

**A short, pudgy boy fidgeted back and forth on his feet, looking up at Thomas with wide eyes.**

"Chuck"

**A thick, heavily muscled Asian kid folded his arms as he studied Thomas, his tight shirtsleeves rolled up to show off his biceps.**

"Shucking hell I'm hot" Minho said arrogantly flexing his biceps.

"I swear if your head was any bigger it would explode" Teresa told him her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Ew yeah and we will have Minho brain everywhere" Chuck joked.

"Don't worry dude I know where you're comin from" _Minho _told his counterpart who now had a smug smile on his face.

No one bothered to argue knowing both Minho's like to have the last say in things.

**A dark-skinned boy frowned—the same one who'd welcomed him.**

"How come you find it so hard to smile?" _Jorge _asked looking bewildered.

_Alby _shrugged he had never been much of a smiler, not even before the changing. Only really smiling when he is highly impressed by someone or… or when he is with _Newt. Alby _felt guilty, he had been treating _Newt _like shite these past few days ever since he came out of the changing… he really needs to apologize for that.

**Countless others stared.**

"Don't even say it shank, we all know it's bloody rude" _Newt _chuckled as _Thomas _huffed knowing what he was going to say.

"**Where am I?" Thomas asked, surprised at hearing his voice for the first time in his salvageable memory. It didn't sound quite right— higher than he would've imagined.**

"Dude you have big feet no one will care about your shucking voice if you know what I mean" Minho wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"You really need to get your mind out of the gutter" Thomas moaned though laughed lightly at his friends antics.

"**Nowhere good." This came from the dark-skinned boy. "Just slim yourself nice and calm." **

"How reassuring" _Thomas _rolled his eyes at the leader of the Glade.

"I was just being truthful" _Alby _defended raising his hands up in false surrender.

_Newt _turned to look at him shocked "You've changed your tune" he accused.

"Maybe I've only just realised what a slint head I've been recently" _Alby _muttered so that only _Newt _could hear.

"**Which Keeper he gonna get?" someone shouted from the back of the crowd. **

"**I told ya, shuck-face," a shrill voice responded. "He's a klunk, so he'll be a Slopper—no doubt about it." The kid giggled like he'd just said the funniest thing in history.**

"Chuck, I'm going to tell you this now just because I like you… you're not funny" Thomas put a reassuring hand on the boys shoulder as the other boy gave a dramatic gasp.

**Thomas once again felt a pressing ache of confusion—hearing so many words and phrases that didn't make sense. Shank. Shuck. Keeper. Slopper. They popped out of the boys' mouths so naturally it seemed odd for him not to understand.**

"Just like the first day of school" Thomas sighed remembering that awful first day.

**It was as if his memory loss had stolen a chunk of his language—it was disorienting.**

"Well you don't want Alby's vocab, you wouldn't be getting very far in school" Brenda laughed remembering results day when everyone got their grades back… Yeah Alby didn't do too well in English.

Alby rolled his eyes and waved a hand to dismiss the laughter which had started to ring out "Okay, okay we can all agree that English is not my forte"

**Different emotions battled for dominance in his mind and heart. Confusion. Curiosity. Panic. Fear. But laced through it all was the dark feeling of utter hopelessness,**

"Don't worry we all had those feelings the day we arrived" _Newt _patted _Thomas _reassuringly on the arm.

**like the world had ended for him, had been wiped from his memory and replaced with something awful. He wanted to run and hide from these people. **

"Good luck with that, we've been here long enough we know it like the back of our hands" _Minho _snorted.

**The scratchy-voiced boy was talking. "—even do that much, bet my liver on it." Thomas still couldn't see his face.**

"You owe me your liver" _Thomas _placed his hand out to _Gally _who just grunted and slapped the hand away not liking to be wrong.

"**I said shut your holes!" the dark boy yelled. "Keep yapping and next break'll be cut in half!"**

"DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNN" Jorge yelled at the top of his voice, once again making everyone in the Glade jump including both the Janson's.

"I swear to God Kornecki if you don't shut up this instant I will personally get Ava Paige to fire you" Rat Man roared his chest heaving quickly with his anger.

"Calm down Janson, we've talked about this use your inner voice" Jorge said using a sickening calm tone which made the students and the gladers try and stifle their laughter as Janson stammered.

"If you go Kornecki you won't be the only one going, you will have to bring her with you" Janson nodded his head over to Brenda who was glaring pure death at her science teacher.

Jorge's lips set into a grim line, but nodded reluctantly pulling Brenda ever closer to him in a protective manner.

**That must be their leader, Thomas realized.**

All the students laughed at the thought of having Alby as a leader.

Teresa, Thomas and Brenda even went to the extent of bowing melodramatically on their knees, so far down that their noses touched the grassed floor. Not caring if their jeans got muddy or grass stained all whilst telling the dark skinned boy that he was their "master" multiple times.

Alby just blushed and pushed them away with his feet making them all land on their arses.

"Ouch that hurt" Teresa complained rubbing her back side whilst crawling over to where she was originally sat.

**Hating how everyone gawked at him, he concentrated on studying the place the boy had called the Glade. **

**The floor of the courtyard looked like it was made of huge stone blocks, many of them cracked and filled with long grasses and weeds.**

"I think we should tell the Track-hoes to start weeding this place as well… the place is becoming a shucking jungle" _Alby _said in thought, not knowing that everything is about to change drastically until he reads further on into the book.

**An odd, dilapidated wooden building near one of the corners of the square contrasted greatly with the grey stone.**

"Oh yeah by the way when night comes Homestead is where we will be sleeping… because there is not too many of us I think we would all get a bed… maybe a few people have to share" _Alby _said pointing over to the wooden building mentioned in the book.

"Good that" Newt answered politely as no one else seemed to have bothered with an answer.

**A few trees surrounded it, their roots like gnarled hands digging into the rock floor for food.**

"Still think you should become an author" Brenda said kindly at Thomas who just rolled his eyes and shook his head. Nodding over to Janson's who were both glaring daggers at all the boys and girls.

**Another corner of the compound held gardens—from where he was standing Thomas recognized corn, tomato plants, fruit trees.**

And with that last line said _Minho _got up and ran at top speed over to the other side of the glade picking out 22 different types of fruit from various trees and putting them in a basket and ran straight back.

"Thought you all would want something to eat" _Minho _shrugged throwing a piece of fruit to everyone, making sure he through really hard at _Rat Man _who unfortunately caught it.

After catching a green apple, _Brenda _took a bite and then continued to read with the delicious fruit in her hand every once in a while taking a bite.

**Across the courtyard from there stood wooden pens holding sheep and pigs and cows. **

"Don't go and pick up twenty two of them" Thomas joked lightly with a chuckle.

"Oh shut it shuck face" _Minho _laughed sticking his tongue out at the student version of his friend.

**A large grove of trees filled the final corner; the closest ones looked crippled and close to dying. The sky overhead was cloudless and blue, but Thomas could see no sign of the sun despite the brightness of the day.**

"Wouldn't do good for the trials if we made it too hot" _Janson _chuckled so that only _Brenda _and _Jorge _could hear.

They both shivered, though they both worked with this guy didn't mean they actually liked him.

**The creeping shadows of the walls didn't reveal the time or direction—it could be early morning or late afternoon.**

_Janson _chuckled glad that the Glade was working so well.

**As he breathed in deeply, trying to settle his nerves, a mixture of smells bombarded him. Freshly turned dirt, manure,**

"Ew" Both Teresa's complained, wrinkling their noses in disgust not even daring to breathe in through their noses.

"The smell isn't that bad, there is other stuff to hide it… plus you've been breathing through your noses for like half an hour now and you've not complained yet" Chuck tried not to roll his eyes but he couldn't help it though.

Both Teresa's blushed and chuckled bashfully.

**pine, something rotten and something sweet. Somehow he knew that these were the smells of a farm.**

"It must be so odd to remember something, but not knowing how you remember it" Aris spoke looking at the gladers curiously.

"Oh trust me it is" _Aris _replied to himself.

"Well he should trust you, you're the same person" Minho barked with laughter.

All the Aris' could do was roll their eyes at the Asian boy, not even bothering to counter back and start a whole new argument.

**Thomas looked back at his captors,**

"Captors?" _Newt _couldn't help but laugh; a laugh that seemed to brighten the whole place up.

_Thomas _blushed "I was disorientated okay" he tried to defend himself causing everyone to laugh even more.

**feeling awkward but desperate to ask questions. Captors, he thought. Then, Why did that word pop into my head?**

"Because you're a slint head" Chuck supplied.

**He scanned their faces, taking in each expression, judging them. One boy's eyes, flared**

_Janson _flinched at the word, as though afraid.

**with hatred, stopped him cold. He looked so angry, Thomas wouldn't have been surprised if the kid came at him with a knife.**

_Thomas _looked over at _Gally _who was now giving him that exact look.

**He had black hair, and when they made eye contact, the boy shook his head and turned away, walking toward a greasy iron pole with a wooden bench next to it.**

"What 's up between you two, like Thomas and I are no peas in a pod but we're not out to kill each other" Gally asked bewildered but once again no one answered him fully.

"Just wait and see" _Gally _said till glaring at _Thomas._

**A multi-coloured flag hung limply at the top of the pole, no wind to reveal its pattern.**

"Why did we even put that up there again?" _Alby _asked curiously looking at _Newt._

"Because Minho thought it would be cool if we had our own crest, not taking it into his head that there was no wind so we couldn't see it" _Newt _explained with an irritated eye roll.

"It's still shucking awesome" _Minho _growled annoyed to himself.

**Shaken, Thomas stared at the boy's back until he turned and took a seat. Thomas quickly looked away. **

**Suddenly the leader of the group—perhaps he was seventeen—**

"18" Alby answered and the other _Alby _turned to look at him shocked.

**took a step forward. He wore normal clothes: black T-shirt, jeans, tennis shoes, a digital watch. For some reason the clothing here surprised Thomas; it seemed like everyone should be wearing something more menacing—like prison garb.**

"Dude you do have one good imagination for a bloody shank" Newt chuckled moving away from Alby now feeling much warmer than he did before.

Thomas just chuckled "at this rate I actually might become an author… you shanks won't give me a break about it."

**The dark-skinned boy had short-cropped hair, his face clean shaven.**

'_Thank God' Newt _thought, he much preferred it when _Alby _had no beard.

**But other than the permanent scowl, there was nothing scary about him at all.**

_Alby _growled which instead of making people flinch just made them laugh.

"Sorry mate but you really aren't that scary" _Newt _chuckled bumping shoulders with the dark skinned boy.

"**It's a long story, shank," the boy said. "Piece by piece, you'll learn—I'll be takin' you on the Tour tomorrow.**

"God no if it was anything like the one my Alby gave me" Thomas shuddered at the thought.

**Till then . . . just don't break anything." He held a hand out. "Name's Alby." He waited, clearly wanting to shake hands. **

**Thomas refused.**

Jorge wanted to do a DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN moment but didn't, instead he just gave a heated glare towards Janson.

"Have you ever heard it's rude not to shake someone's hand when offering" _Alby _said loving how _Thomas _grumbled and huffed at being bit in the arse by his own comeback.

**Some instinct took over his actions and without saying anything he turned away from Alby and walked to a nearby tree, where he plopped down to sit with his back against the rough bark.**

"That was how we all found out you were a tough little klunk… You turned your back on Alby" _Chuck _smirked especially when _Alby _turned to give him an agitated look.

**Panic swelled inside him once again, almost too much to bear. But he took a deep breath and forced himself to try to accept the situation. **_**Just go with it,**_** he thought. **_**You won't figure out anything if you give in to fear**_**. **

"Fear is only human. You can't be brave without fear just remember that" Jorge explained, looking between all his students who just nodded sincerely as though Jorge had just quoted from the bible.

"**Then tell me," Thomas called out, struggling to keep his voice even. "Tell me the long story."**

"I hate green bean day" _Alby _groaned because almost all of them did this to him.

**Alby glanced at the friends closest to him, rolling his eyes, and Thomas studied the crowd again. His original estimate had been close—there were probably fifty to sixty of them, ranging from boys in their midteens to young adults like Alby,**

_Alby _raised an eyebrow at _Thomas _who just blushed and face palmed his forehead.

**who seemed to be one of the oldest. At that moment, Thomas realized with a sickening lurch that he had no idea how old he was.**

"Sixteen"

**His heart sank at the thought— he was so lost he didn't even know his own age. **

"**Seriously," he said, giving up on the show of courage. "Where am I?"**

"How do you think we felt?" _Minho _gestured to himself, _Alby _and _Newt. _"We had to figure all this out by ourselves… we were the first ones here."

_Thomas _had never really thought about it that way, they must have all have been so confused and they didn't even have anyone to ask.

"You should have seen poor Newt, he was the baby of us all… I think he thought we were going to go cannibal and eat him" _Minho _waved his arms around dramatically trying to show the seriousness of the subject.

All _Newt _could do was blush in embarrassment and shake his head…

**Alby walked over to him and sat down cross-legged; the crowd of boys followed and packed in behind. Heads popped up here and there, kids leaning in every direction to get a better look.**

"You guys really did make me feel like an animal in a zoo."

"**If you ain't scared," Alby said, "you ain't human. Act any different and I'd throw you off the Cliff because it'd mean you're a psycho." **

"You. Are. An. Idiot." _Jorge _shook his head in disbelief. They had just told a newbie that they would chuck him off a shucking cliff.

"**The Cliff?" Thomas asked, blood draining from his face.**

"This is why we never really normally let Alby break news to people" Brenda smirked at the boy who just grumbled something incoherent.

"**Shuck it," Alby said, rubbing his eyes. "Ain't no way to start these conversations, you get me? We don't kill shanks like you here, I promise. Just try and avoid being killed, survive, whatever."**

"Holy Klunk you a really bad at this" Chuck giggled clutching his tubby tummy as a stitch started to form.

**He paused, and Thomas realized his face must've whitened even more when he heard that last part. **

"Is that even humanly possible?" _Teresa _asked with a raised brow quizzically.

"Yes it can" Janson said and started to explain the whole science behind it.

Fifteen minutes later and the teacher thankfully had stopped talking, leaving eighteen teens very bored.

Grinning, _Brenda _could finally go on and continue with the chapter.

"**Man," Alby said, then ran his hands over his short hair as he let out a long sigh. "I ain't good at this—you're the first Greenbean since Nick was killed." **

All the Gladers groaned and started sending dirty looks at _Alby _who just rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I say we select a new shucking leader" _Minho _suggested jokingly. "No wonder shanks are petrified if you go and tell em stuff like that in their first hour here."

**Thomas's eyes widened, and another boy stepped up and playfully slapped Alby across the head. "Wait for the bloody Tour, Alby," he said, his voice thick with an odd accent.**

"English accent" Newt grinned.

"Hmmmm I've always wondered what it was, I knew I was from a different place I just couldn't think where." _Newt _said genuinely confused.

"I love that accent" Aris admitted and all the students nodded in agreement causing Newt to blush.

"What part of England did you live in?" _Brenda _asked kindly.

"I was from Newcastle" Newt muttered with an almost sad smile.

"Why did you move to America?" _Jorge _asked curious.

Newts smile immediately faded into a stone cold expression, refusing to answer.

Jorge just shook his head at his counterpart, a sad expression on his face and nodded for _Brenda _to continue with the book.

"**Kid's gonna have a buggin' heart attack, nothin' even been heard yet." He bent down and extended his hand toward Thomas. "Name's Newt, Greenie, and we'd all be right cheery if ya'd forgive our klunk-for-brains new leader, here."**

All the teens burst out into laughter, trust _Newt _to say something like that.

Thomas couldn't help find it odd though, the Newt he knew seemed to be a whole lot more shy. Not painfully shy just not as out spoken as the _Newt _in the Glade.

Something wasn't too right here, especially how it was only in the last three months that the British boy had become so withdrawn and in a way ill looking with all the weight he had lost.

**Thomas reached out and shook the boy's hand—he seemed a lot nicer than Alby.**

"That's because he is… Well to be honest there is no one really nicer than Newt in the glade." _Minho _said thoughtfully and the others couldn't help but agree much to the embarrassment of both Newts.

**Newt was taller than Alby too, but looked to be a year or so younger.**

Newt smirked "seventeen in two days."

"Birthday celebrations then" _Minho _cheered excitedly..

**His hair was blond and cut long, cascading over his T-shirt.**

Newt ran a hand through his hair, glad that nothing was falling out yet.

**Veins stuck out of his muscled arms. **

"You make me sound hot" _Newt _laughed swatting _Thomas _playfully on the arm.

Alby frowned and looked over at his own Newt and wondered how the boy couldn't consider himself attractive… because he was.

Not that Alby ever thought about Newt like that, because they were just friends and nothing more… Always just friends? Alby didn't even like boys like that.

"**Pipe it, shuck-face," Alby grunted, pulling Newt down to sit next to him.**

"You really need to learn to start talking to me properly" _Newt _said his voice only had an inch of hurt on it, something that wouldn't be noticed behind the jokey voice. Expecting a comeback, he was shocked when non came looking over at his friends with his big blue eyes.

"**At least he can understand half my words."**

Minho, Alby, Brenda and Jorge all laughed as Newt blushed with a small happy smile on his face.

"What's so funny?" _Aris _asked confused.

"Inside joke, when Newt first came to America his Geordie accent was so thick, and he was speaking so fast that he would have to repeat everything three times before we actually understood him." Jorge explained, even he couldn't understand what his student was saying.

"Thank fully he's slowed down now, so we can get the words… Either that or we have just got so used to his accent… we have been listening to it since he was fourteen" Alby laughed putting his arm around his friend lightly.

"It's a mix of both" Newt said rolling his eyes. Remembering back to the dark days when he used to have to always repeat everything, and some of the older boys would pick on him until he became friends with Minho and Alby that is from the year above. "The funniest time was when we" Newt motioned to everyone bar Chuck who was too young, "all watched an episode of Geordie Shore… Their faces they couldn't understand a shucking word of it."

Newt burst into laughter and now it was time for the other students to blush.

"You can't blame us they were speaking in code like what the hell do they think a parsnip is?" Aris was still confused by that term the Charlotte girl used about something on a guy called Gaz and Newt really couldn't help his laughter.

"If you don't know that now, you never will" Newt said putting on his natural thick Geordie accent to which most people including the gladers looked confused at. "Oh and you do know we're not all like that… they're just a few."

**There were a few scattered laughs, and then everyone gathered behind Alby and Newt, packing in even tighter, waiting to hear what they said. **

**Alby spread his arms out, palms up. "This place is called the Glade, all right? It's where we live, where we eat, where we sleep— we call ourselves the Gladers. That's all you—"**

"Oh how factual" Gally rolled his eyes making _Alby _growl in annoyance.

Gally looked hurt for a second, none of the gladers really seemed to like him. He just didn't know what for.

"**Who sent me here?" Thomas demanded, fear finally giving way to anger. "How'd—" **

**But Alby's hand shot out before he could finish, grabbing Thomas by the shirt as he leaned forward on his knees. "Get up, shank, get up!" Alby stood, pulling Thomas with him.**

"Dude you are never doing introductions again" _Newt _laughed nudging _Alby _playfully.

The dark man just grunted rudely in reply.

_Newt _groaned hating the other boys mood swings.

**Thomas finally got his feet under him, scared all over again. He backed against the tree, trying to get away from Alby, who stayed right in his face. **

"Rude" _Thomas _huffed though every seemed to be ignoring his rude statements now to the boys dismay.

"**No interruptions, boy!" Alby shouted. "Whacker, if we told you everything, you'd die on the spot, right after you klunked your pants. Baggers'd drag you off, and you ain't no good to us then, are ya?" **

"You sound even more melodramatic than me with that statement" _Thomas _laughed causing the others too as well.

"You don't want to be like that" Teresa chuckled pointing at _Alby_ who was in the middle of trying to hold down a smile and blushing.

"**I don't even know what you're talking about," Thomas said slowly, shocked at how steady his voice sounded. **

**Newt reached out and grabbed Alby by the shoulders. "Alby, lay off a bit. You're hurtin' more than helpin', ya know?"**

"You do that even in our world, don't know when to keep your trap shut" Janson glared at Alby who just smiled brightly picking up his hand and wiggling his fingers in a patronising way. "If you don't stop boy there will be hell to pay" Janson glared at the boy who just glared at him but said no more.

**Alby let go of Thomas's shirt and stepped back, his chest heaving with breaths. "Ain't got time to be nice, Greenbean. Old life's over, new life's begun. Learn the rules quick, listen, don't talk. You get me?" **

"Please say you're not thinking of teaching when you're older" Brenda pleaded causing chuckles to rumble. "I think you would be the Miss Trunchball in Matilda of the school."

All the students laughed out loud to this and even Alby couldn't help but chuckle.

The gladers, didn't laugh however, as to not been able to see the film though some did (_Minho_) as the statement didn't seem to be a compliment on their leader.

**Thomas looked over at Newt, hoping for help.**

"Everyone goes over to Newt for help" Alby rolled his eyes in fake annoyance.

"That only because you push everyone away and they need my help"

**Everything inside him churned and hurt; the tears that had yet to come burned his eyes. **

**Newt nodded. "Greenie, you get him, right?" He nodded again.**

"How helpful."

**Thomas fumed, wanted to punch somebody.**

"Not you Newt" _Thomas _reassured with a smile as the boy turned to look at him with shock in his eyes.

"Good that, because you know I would have kicked your shucking arse good bye if you had" _Newt_ raised a blonde brow daringly.

**But he simply said, "Yeah." **

"**Good that," Alby said. "First Day. That's what today is for you, shank. Night's comin', Runners'll be back soon.**

"Bet I'm a runner" Minho clapped his hands together excitedly.

"Too right" _Minho _answered for him high fiving his counterpart comically.

**The Box came late today, ain't got time for the Tour. Tomorrow morning, right after the wake-up." He turned toward Newt. "Get him a bed, get him to sleep."**

"Oooh" Minho wiggled his eyes suggestively.

Both Newt's and Thomas' blushed in embarrassment and both Alby's eyes widened in… jealousy?

"Get your mind out of the gutter Minho" Thomas complained shoving his friend who just laughed.

"**Good that," Newt said. **

**Alby's eyes returned to Thomas, narrowing. "A few weeks, you'll be happy, shank. You'll be happy and helpin'. None of us knew jack on First Day, you neither. New life begins tomorrow." **

"You really need to start being nice to people" _Newt _whispered in the boys ear making him shiver.

"I can be like however I want to be" _Alby _retorted but it didn't hold any of that usual anger which was normally laced into his voice.

**Alby turned and pushed his way through the crowd, then headed for the slanted wooden building in the corner. Most of the kids wandered away then, each one giving Thomas a lingering look before they walked off. **

"It's just because they think I'm so hot" _Thomas _smirked causing the others to laugh at his antics and for the Minho's to blush. "Yes Minho I was doing an impression of you" to finish it off he even flexed his biceps.

"You may be my friend Thomas but I'm not afraid to hit you still" _Minho _threatened, pointing a strong finger towards him.

**Thomas folded his arms, closed his eyes, took a deep breath. Emptiness ate away at his insides, quickly replaced by a sadness that hurt his heart.**

"That what it sort of feels like when you lose someone" Thomas muttered sadly, it actually feels like there is a ginormous hole in your chest and there is no one there to pick up the pieces.

No one said anything, none of the gladers even dared to ask a question on what Thomas was going on about they all just sat in silence for a minute until Thomas nodded for _Brenda _to continue.

**It was all too much—where was he? What was this place? Was it some kind of prison? If so, why had he been sent here, and for how long?**

"Just to put your minds at rest, no this is not a prison. None have you have done anything wrong, you are here to help" _Janson _explained and all the gladers sighed in relief, except _Gally _and _Alby _who already knew this somewhat from the changing.

**The language was odd, and none of the boys seemed to care whether he lived or died. Tears threatened again to fill his eyes, but he refused to let them come.**

"Strong, even Alby cried on his first day" _Newt _muttered earning a glare from the said boy.

"**What did I do?" he whispered, not really meaning for anyone to hear him. "What did I do—why'd they send me here?" **

**Newt clapped him on the shoulder. "Greenie, what you're feelin', we've all felt it.**

"Think how I felt im the youngest here and then all these older boys come up and start circling me" _Chuck _told them waving his arms around like an idiot.

**We've all had First Day, come out of that dark box. Things are bad, they are, and they'll get much worse for ya soon, that's the truth. But down the road a piece, you'll be fightin' true and good. I can tell you're not a bloody sissy." **

"See that is how you break it to a person" Thomas said looking at Alby who rolled his eyes with a smile on his face.

"**Is this a prison?" Thomas asked; he dug in the darkness of his thoughts, trying to find a crack to his past.**

_Thomas _was still relieved that he had done nothing wrong in the past, well nothing extremely wrong that it ended him up in prison. However, he must have done something for _Gally_ to hate him so much.

"**Done asked your questions, haven't ya?" Newt replied. "No good answers for ya, not yet, anyway. Best be quiet now, accept the change—morn comes tomorrow."**

"I don't see how everyone accepts it when Newt says stuff like that but when I do it's an abomination." _Alby _grumbled annoyed.

"It's because Newt is the glade mother, no one messes with the mother." _Minho _smirked as both _Newt _and_ Alby _staggered on what to say.

"I am no mother" _Newt _blushed though couldn't help but agreeing a tiny bit because he was the one who looked after everyone the most.

"You are Newt, don't even try to say you're not" _Gally _even had to admit that _Newt _was their sort of glade mother.

**Thomas said nothing, his head sunk, his eyes staring at the cracked, rocky ground. A line of small-leafed weeds ran along the edge of one of the stone blocks, tiny yellow flowers peeping through as if searching for the sun, long disappeared behind the enormous walls of the Glade.**

"You really have an eye for detail, I never take any notice of that klunk" _Alby _snorted.

"That's the reason you have never been a runner, because you never pay attention to the changes" _Newt _sniggered. "That and you can't be bothered running."

"Probably why he's so heavy" _Thomas _continued, him now in the firing line of _Alby's _glaring.

"**Chuck'll be a good fit for ya," Newt said. "Wee little fat**

"HEY" Both chucks complained loudly causing the others to laugh.

"Sorry Chuck but you do have quite a bit of chunk of your bones" Thomas laughed poking the boys blubber.

**shank, but nice sap when all's said and done. Stay here, I'll be back." **

**Newt had barely finished his sentence when a sudden, piercing scream ripped through the air.**

All the students eyes widened as the gladers shuddered in distress.

**High and shrill, the barely human shriek echoed across the stone courtyard; every kid in sight turned to look toward the source. Thomas felt his blood turn to icy slush as he realized that the horrible sound came from the wooden building. **

"Do we have to sleep in there?" Chuck asked his voice now laced to the brim in fear.

"The place isn't haunted, it's just a person was going through a rough time" _Newt _tried to lamely reassure.

"A very rough time" _Alby _shuddered feeling sick.

_Newt _glared at the boy "You really need to learn when the best time an input like that is relevant… Never."

**Even Newt had jumped as if startled, his forehead creasing in concern. **

"**Shuck it," he said. "Can't the bloody Med-jacks handle that boy for ten minutes without needin' my help?"**

"Glade mother" _Minho _coughed with a smirk.

**He shook his head and lightly kicked Thomas on the foot. "Find Chuckie, tell him he's in charge of your sleepin' arrangements." And then he turned and headed in the direction of the building, running.**

"Find Chuckie how hard is it in a place full of sixty other boys" _Thomas _rolled his eyes.

**Thomas slid down the rough face of the tree until he sat on the ground again; he shrank back against the bark and closed his eyes, wishing he could wake up from this terrible, terrible dream.**

"That's the end of the chapter" _Brenda _said putting down the book.

"I'll read next" Aris said taking the book from _Brenda._

* * *

**_- It has come to my knowledge that Americans find it quite difficult to understand the Geordie accent, I didn't choose it because of that though it does fit in quite well, I chose it because I just absolutely adore the Geordie accent and I wanted my Newt to have the accent I love._**

**_- If there are any questions about the story feel free to ask, I don't mind at all even if you think they are stupid questions I would love to answer them :)_**

**_- I can take CONSTRUCTIVE criticism so if there is anything I have done wrong, which I can correct please tell me, or if you like you can even give me ideas for what can happen in future chapters... There are a lot of chapters so I need a lot of new drama's and stuff._**

**_- PLEASE TAKE THE POLL ON MY PROFILE AS TO WHO YOU THINK IS JANSONS VICTIM!_**

**_- I got my GCSE results back yesterday and I am more than happy with my 1 A*, 5 A's, 1 B and 2 C's (I improved on my C's so I don't really need them anymore so :)_**

**_-PLEASE REVIEW!_**


	3. MR - Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I am not James Dashner**_

* * *

"Chapter three" Aris coughed a little in preparation.

**Thomas sat there for several moments, too overwhelmed to move.**

"Good job you didn't react that badly the first day of school, you would have been bullied for the rest of your time" Gally laughed not noticing the death glare _Thomas _sent him.

**He finally forced himself to look over at the haggard building. A group of boys milled around outside, glancing anxiously at the upper windows as if expecting a hideous beast to leap out in an explosion of glass and wood.**

All the gladers shuddered with fear at the thought, being in the glade so long has taught them all not to always trust their judgement and always be on high alert… because truly anything can happen.

**A metallic clicking sound from the branches above grabbed his attention, made him look up; a flash of silver and red light caught his eyes just before disappearing around the trunk to the other side.**

"God they sound like those weird things Headmistress Paige invested in to watch over on us" Teresa grimaced in disgust, she hated them when one all of a sudden went into the girls changing rooms when they're getting dresses after PE (she expected Janson had something to do with that.)

Minho grumbled under his breath.

"I don't know why you're grumbling, you're the reason she invested in them amigo… What with you sneaking out every single night in order to find a girl" Jorge chuckled comically cherishing the look of Minho's face turning brick red in a matter of seconds.

"You're a shucking liar Mr. Kornecki" Minho's blush didn't leave his face.

"Better beetle blades than Griever though" Newt shuddered, that man was beyond creepy.

All the students and even Jorge nodded gravely, that man was a creep.

"Griever?" _Alby _questioned a frown of confusion on his face.

"The caretaker at Glade High" Thomas defined.

Most of the gladers laughed with no humour, leaving all the students confused "We would take a caretaker called Griever any day to our shucking grievers." _Minho _barked with laughter.

Chuck was about to ask what the Griever was like in their world but was interrupted.

"Trust me you don't want to know" _Newt _raised an elegant eyebrow at the boy, effectively shutting him up.

**He scrambled to his feet and walked around the tree, craning his neck for a sign of whatever he'd heard, but he saw only bare branches, grey and brown, forking out like skeleton fingers**

"I really do admire your imagination" _Brenda _smirked at _Thomas_, even though he had only just met this girl he found himself blushing furiously.

_Teresa _looked between the two, she wasn't jealous of the two because truthfully they including herself hardly knew each other. However, there must be a reason as to why _Brenda _is here, all _Teresa _could do is wait and then she will eventually find out the motives of this girl and why she was so important to be brought here.

—**and looking just as alive. **

"**That was one of them beetle blades," someone said.**

_Chuck _grinned knowingly.

**Thomas turned to his right to see a kid standing nearby, short and pudgy,**

"HEY!" Both chucks wailed once again.

"Maybe we should make Chuck a runner, then he will lose all that baby weight" Thomas chuckled poking Chuck in the tummy and sending a look towards Jorge.

"No way" _Chuck _paled shaking his head furiously.

"Don't worry Chucky I wouldn't let them do that, at least not without training" _Newt _patted _Chuck _on the back reassuringly but the boy just paled further.

**staring at him. He was young—probably the youngest of any in the group he'd seen so far,**

"That's because I am the youngest, I really do hate being born on August 31st sometimes" Chuck grumbled making the older students coo and pinch his cheek childishly.

**maybe twelve or thirteen years old.**

"Eleven" Chuck huffed.

**His brown hair hung down over his ears and neck, scraping the tops of his shoulders. Blue eyes shone through an otherwise pitiful face, flabby and flushed.**

"How come you make everyone else sound hot and I'm there all flabby and flushed?" _Chuck _said in a false hurt tone pretending to wipe a tear from his eyes.

"He can only think what he sees and apparently what he sees in Newt is hotness" Alby chuckled nudging Newt lightly in the ribcage.

Newt turned cherry red in embarrassment; shyly he tucked his hair behind his ear "Oh shut up" he muttered.

**Thomas nodded at him. "A beetle what?" **

"**Beetle blade," the boy said, pointing to the top of the tree. "Won't hurt ya unless you're stupid enough to touch one of them." **

_Alby _winced, he was the one to find out that touching the beetle blade only caused pain.

**He paused. "Shank." He didn't sound comfortable saying the last word,**

"It takes everyone a couple of months to get used to it" _Alby _said then rethought "Well everybody but Thomas that slint-head got it in the first few days."

**as if he hadn't quite grasped the slang of the Glade.**

"Don't worry" _Newt _said once again giving the smaller boy a reassuring clap on the shoulder.

**Another scream, this one long and nerve-grinding, tore through the air and Thomas's heart lurched.**

_Thomas _shivered despite it not being cold, he could still hear Ben's screams in his head as if it was yesterday when in actual fact he had already been there about a week and a few days now.

**The fear was like icy dew on his skin. "What's going on over there?" he asked, pointing at the building. **

"A person is going through hell and back" _Alby _and _Gally _shuddered.

_Janson _had to refrain himself from rolling his eyes, thinking of how the boys over exaggerate so much in comparison to the girls.

"**Don't know," the chubby boy replied; his voice still carried the high pitch of childhood. "Ben's in there, sicker than a dog. **_**They**_** got him."**

"They?" Thomas asked looking quite terrified.

Aris smirked reading out the next line.

"**They?" Thomas didn't like the malicious way the boy had said the word.**

The students all started laughing, though they too were afraid of what exactly 'they' are. They sure had nothing like that coming from their school.

"**Yeah." **

"**Who are**_** They**_**?" **

"**Better hope you never find out," the kid answered,**

"How reassuring" _Jorge _said sarcastically rolling his eyes.

**looking far too comfortable for the situation. He held out his hand. "My name's Chuck. I was the Greenbean until you showed up." **

"I was so glad when you guys stopped calling me that" _Chuck _smiled happily.

_Gally _grinned evilly "Oh shut up greenbean."

_Chuck _sent the older boy a death glare but decided not to say anything because no one liked to be on the receiving end of_ Gally's _anger.

_**This is my guide for the night?**_** Thomas thought. He couldn't shake his extreme discomfort, and now annoyance crept in as well.**

"Hey what's so bad with me?" Chuck huffed turning his back on Thomas.

With a roll of his eyes Thomas put Chuck into a headlock making the younger boy wail. "Think about it I turn up at a new school and find out that my tour is a first year who only came the month before me… how would you feel?"

"Point taken" Chuck growled still struggling to get out of the headlock.

Taking pity on the boy, Thomas let go of him making him go rolling onto the floor.

**Nothing made sense; his head hurt. **

"**Why is everyone calling me Greenbean?" he asked, shaking Chuck's hand quickly, then letting go.**

"Rude" Chuck huffed, he was now sitting back up again and onto his comfy spot on his bed cushion.

"**Cuz you're the newest Newbie." Chuck pointed at Thomas and laughed. Another scream came from the house, a sound like a starving animal being tortured.**

"Your simile's are really starting to disturb me now" Janson frowned, though impressed with the boys imagination that was very descriptive.

"What can I say, I can't help what I think" Thomas shrugged secretly glad he was freaking the most hated teacher out with his imagination.

"**How can you be laughing?" Thomas asked, horrified by the noise. "It sounds like someone's dying in there." **

"Well if he was dying obviously he wouldn't be laughing" _Teresa _chuckled lightly sending a look at _Thomas _who blushed.

"It was a figure of speech" _Thomas _explained slowly chuckling slightly.

"**He'll be okay. No one dies if they make it back in time to get the Serum.**

"Who the hell told you that you need to get the serum in an allotted time?" _Thomas _asked scandalised, he had only just thought of that now.

_Newt _and _Alby _blushed. "We just presumed" _Newt _started to try and defend himself but was interrupted by _Alby._

"That it had a time limit, I for one am thankful it didn't" _Alby _sighed in relief, if there was a time limit he would have been buggered.

**It's all or nothing. Dead or not dead. Just hurts a lot." **

**This gave Thomas pause. "What hurts a lot?" **

"I'm not sure if I actually want to know" Teresa grimaced.

**Chuck's eyes wandered as if he wasn't sure what to say. "Um, gettin' stung by the Grievers."**

"Griever?" Brenda laughed and all the gladers turned to look at her shocked. "I'm sorry but the griever in our world, his bark is a lot worse than his bite."

Most of the students laughed, all except one whose face went deadly pale at the thought of the schools caretaker… no she was wrong… His bite is a whole lot worse than his bark.

"**Grievers?" Thomas was only getting more and more confused. Stung. Grievers. The words had a heavy weight of dread to them,**

"Try being on the receiving end of it, it hurts like a shucking slint" _Gally _looked like he was about to vomit but thankfully he didn't.

"You're not the only one shank" _Alby _glared at the younger boy, who just huffed.

**and he suddenly wasn't so sure he wanted to know what Chuck was talking about. **

**Chuck shrugged, then looked away, eyes rolling. **

"Don't act like you weren't klunking yourself when you first heard someone go through the changing" _Minho _glared at _Chuck _who squeaked a bit in terror.

**Thomas sighed in frustration and leaned back against the tree. "Looks like you barely know more than I do," he said,**

"Really?" _Chuck _said with a raise of his eyebrows.

**but he knew it wasn't true.**

"Exactly."

**His memory loss was strange. He mostly remembered the workings of the world—but emptied of specifics, faces, names.**

"It's weird… you wouldn't know your family even if they walked right past you" Thomas said forlornly.

The gladers just shrugged "We don't know any better" _Minho _explained.

**Like a book completely intact but missing one word in every dozen, making it a miserable and confusing read. He didn't even know his age. **

"**Chuck, how . . . old do you think I am?" **

"Asking an eleven year old, classic" Alby snorted.

**The boy scanned him up and down. "I'd say you're sixteen. And in case you were wondering, five foot nine . . . brown hair. Oh, and ugly as fried liver on a stick."**

Both Thomas' blushed furiously as all the others burst into laughter, well except the Janson's who never laugh or smile.

Thomas' green eyes met Teresa's mirth filled blue ones, she gave him a wink which only made him blush more.

**He snorted a laugh. **

**Thomas was so stunned he'd barely heard the last part. Sixteen? He was **_**sixteen**_**? He felt much older than that.**

"Oh yes sorry I was a bit confused that day I was meant to say sixty" _Chuck _snorted.

_Thomas _rolled his eyes half-heartedly giving his younger friend a slight shove.

"**Are you serious?" He paused, searching for words. "How . . ." He didn't even know what to ask.**

"Wow you made Tom speechless that's a miracle" Teresa awed laughing slightly as Thomas sent her a betrayed look.

"**Don't worry. You'll be all whacked for a few days, but then you'll get used to this place. I have. We live here, this is it. Better than living in a pile of klunk."**

"Anything's better than living in a pile of klunk" _Minho _wrinkled his nose in disgust.

**He squinted, maybe anticipating Thomas's question. "**_**Klunk's**_** another word for poo. Poo makes a klunk sound when it falls in our pee pots." **

"Pee Pots? Dudes wait till you hear the sound it makes in an actual toilet… There's water at the bottom of them as well" Minho barked with laughter.

"It's more of a klunk splash" Aris snorted before returning back to the book, ignoring the sniggers.

**Thomas looked at Chuck, unable to believe he was having this conversation. "That's nice" was all he could manage.**

"Better reaction than most people, they just seem to give looks of disgust" _Newt _marvelled smiling calmly.

**He stood up and walked past Chuck toward the old building; shack was a better word for the place. It looked three or four stories high and about to fall down at any minute**

"Are you really sure we have to stay in there?" Chuck said in a strangled voice.

_Alby _rolled his eyes in annoyance "Yes, so shut it," he growled.

—**a crazy assortment of logs and boards and thick twine and windows seemingly thrown together at random, the massive, ivy-strewn stone walls rising up behind it.**

"Oi stop dissing Homestead… It took me shucking ages to fix that place up" _Gally _growled in defence, it was true he was one of the people who put up the final pieces to homestead in order to make it work.

**As he moved across the courtyard, the distinct smell of firewood and some kind of meat cooking made his stomach grumble.**

"Frypan" all the gladers chuckled.

Something then all of a sudden popped into _Thomas' _mind "Hey what's Frypan's real name?"

_Alby _tried not to snigger "Siggy."

"Why does he call himself Frypan…? Siggy sounds a whole lot better." _Thomas _asked confused.

"Because we made up the Siggy song, and ever since he's been calling himself Frypan." _Newt _chuckled.

_Thomas _shook his head; he will have to learn that song later on after the books.

**Knowing now that it was just a sick kid doing the screaming made Thomas feel better.**

"You have some shucking problems shank" _Gally _looked warily at _Thomas._

**Until he thought about what had caused it . . . **

One of the students shivered once again going pale.

"**What's your name?" Chuck asked from behind, running to catch up.**

"See he would make an amazing runner" _Minho _slapped _Chuck _on the back laughing mirthfully when the chubby child paled in fear.

_Chuck _shook his head furiously "No way you're getting me in that maze unless it means a way out."

Jorge chuckled "If Thomas can be a runner anyone can."

All the gladers turned to look at Jorge confused as Thomas blushed.

"What?" _Thomas _asked confused. "What do you mean?"

Thomas looked slightly embarrassed "What he means is, because I have Asthma it is normally really hard for people like me to be physically active but because I am it means anyone could."

"Thomas that is not just Asthma that is Asthma and a half, yet you're still one of the greatest runners known at glade high" Jorge said proudly.

"Asthma?" _Thomas _repeated a look of confusion on his face.

"Do none of you know what Asthma is?" At the looks of confusion Thomas carried on "well in short terms is my lungs suck at being lungs" Thomas smiled at the shocked looks he received. Taking out his inhaler her shaked it a bit then took a puff.

"No one has Asthma anymore" _Janson _began to explain "Quite a few centuries ago we all just started to become immune to it because they found a cure."

"A cure? Do you think you could give it me" Thomas asked hopeful.

"I don't see why not" this time it was _Jorge._

Thomas could have screamed to the heavens he was so happy, his Asthma had been a pain all his life.

"**What?" **

"You really ought to… what's the word? Listen" Brenda raised an eyebrow at Thomas who just gave her a sheepish smile.

"**Your name? You still haven't told us—and I know you remember that much." **

"**Thomas." He barely heard himself say it—his thoughts had spun in a new direction.**

"Your mind is constantly going in different directions, you mean to say" Janson glowered, the boy was constantly day dreaming in his class. He was surprised as to how the boy was passing it.

**If Chuck was right, he'd just discovered a link to the rest of the boys. A common pattern to their memory losses. They all remembered their names.**

"I don't think any glader has actually sinked this deep into understanding, we just try to survive" _Alby _raised an eyebrow at _Thomas _who just shrugged.

**Why not their parents' names? Why not a friend's name? Why not their **_**last**_** names?**

_Alby _and _Gally _shivered they knew why, but there was no way they were going to voice it out loud. Especially after what happened to _Alby _last time he tried to say something.

"**Nice to meet you, Thomas," Chuck said. "Don't you worry, I'll take care of you. I've been here a whole month, and I know the place inside and out. You can count on Chuck, okay?"**

"I'm sorry but that was really not reassuring in the slightest" Thomas laughed looking between the two blushing Chucks.

**Thomas had almost reached the front door of the shack and the small group of boys congregating there when he was hit by a sudden and surprise rush of anger. He turned to face Chuck. "You can't even **_**tell**_** me anything. I wouldn't call that taking care of me."**

"Hey don't pick on Chuck" _Newt _scolded clapping _Thomas _around the head lightly.

"You called him fat before" _Thomas _defended rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm allowed to as people say" _Newt _smirked "I'm the glade mother."

Most of the gladers and students had to muffle their sniggers as _Thomas _and Newt turned bright red.

**He turned back toward the door, intent on going inside to find some answers. Where this sudden courage and resolve came from, he had no idea.**

"He has a Gryffindor heart" Minho roared dramatically and all the students and even the teachers turned to look at him shocked.

"I never knew you were a Potterhead" Newt raised his eyebrows in shock.

"Well I need something to do in my spare time when I'm not out banging girls" Minho sniffed folding his arms over his chest.

"So you've read the Harry Potters?" Teresa asked disbelievingly, she knew he wasn't talking about the films because they weren't allowed to watch TV. They had all watched Geordie Shore on Thomas' laptop, which had gotten confiscated the next day and blocked from all such websites.

"I can read you know" Minho growled back irritated.

"How come you never do your homework then if you've got enough spare time to read books" Jorge asked confused.

"Because I'm using my spare time to read Harry Potter duh" Minho said it as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Janson and Jorge both sent Minho looks of utter shock, both of their mouths hanging open ready to catch flies.

In order to stop anymore arguing escalating Aris continued reading, sighing in relief when everyone's attention turned back to him.

**Chuck shrugged. "Nothin' I say'll do you any good," he said. "I'm basically still a Newbie, too. But I can be your friend—"**

"**I don't need friends," Thomas interrupted.**

"Ooh that was harsh" _Teresa _scolded _Thomas _sending him a disapproving look.

**He'd reached the door, an ugly slab of sun-faded wood, and he pulled it open to see several stoic-faced boys standing at the foot of a crooked staircase, the steps and railings twisted and angled in all directions.**

"You guys really didn't make that place very good" _Thomas _raised an eyebrow chuckling when everyone sent him angry glares.

"I'd like to see you make a homestead out of practically nothing" _Gally _growled.

"You were only there for the end of it so you can shucking shut it, but yes he was right" _Alby _growled, though he looked hesitant to say the last part.

**Dark wallpaper covered the walls of the foyer and hallway, half of it peeling off. The only decorations in sight were a dusty vase on a three-legged table and a black-and-white picture of an ancient woman dressed in an old-fashioned white dress.**

Newt for a second looked alarmed, but then but on his usual calm façade.

"Where the hell did you even get that?" _Thomas _asked.

"I painted it" _Newt _answered with a shrug, everyone except Newt and Alby looked at the boy in shock. "When I hurt my shucking leg I got bored because I was on bed rest… so I just drew it. I don't know why I drew her she just seems familiar…"

"I didn't know you could draw" Janson narrowed his eyes at Newt who fidgeted uncomfortable.

"Yeah, well it's just more doodles" Newt shrugged shyly.

"There better than doodles, he's got a book full of them" Alby defended and Newt turned to look at him terrified.

"How did you know that? Where did you find that book? How much did you see?" Newt asked fastly his eyes almost crazed.

"Whoa calm down, you left it on your desk when you went into the shower and I didn't look through all of it… you came out of the shower before I could finish" Alby put his hands up in surrender.

Newt sighed in relief, glad the book wasn't in his bag and Alby had gone routing through it. "Are our bags here?"

_Minho _was glad he could stop the tension between the two with an answer "Yeah they're in homestead, we will get you them after the chapter."

**It reminded Thomas of a haunted house from a movie**

"Film" Newt muttered.

Alby just rolled his eyes at his British friend in half-hearted annoyance.

**or something. There were even planks of wood missing from the floor. **

**The place reeked of dust and mildew—a big contrast to the pleasant smells outside. **

"Yeah the Glade isn't the most the most pleasant smelling place" _Chuck _agreed with a stiff nod, wrinkling his nose.

**Flickering fluorescent lights shone from the ceiling. He hadn't thought of it yet, but he had to wonder where the electricity came from in a place like the Glade.**

"We give it to you, that's how" _Janson _told them with a raised brow.

All the gladers glared at _Janson _with fire in their eyes, if he is a dick here they would hate to have him as a shucking teacher.

**He stared at the old woman in the picture. Had she lived here once? Taken care of these people?**

Newt shivered, that woman was part of his nightmares.

"**Hey, look, it's the Greenbean," one of the older boys called out. With a start, Thomas realized it was the black-haired guy who'd given him the look of death earlier.**

_Thomas _glared _at Gally _who just glared right back at him.

**He looked like he was fifteen or so,**

"Sixteen" Gally put in hoping to ease the tension… to no such luck.

**tall and skinny. His nose was the size of a small fist and resembled a deformed potato. **

"Hey!" both Gally's screamed in outrage as all the students and gladers (along with _Brenda _and the two Jorge's) all to burst out laughing.

"You could have at least said an average potato" Gally frowned rubbing his nose protectively.

Thomas chuckled smiling at his friend who just rolled his eyes.

Not the same as _Thomas _and _Gally _who were having a glare war.

"**This shank probably klunked his pants when he heard old Benny baby scream like a girl.**

"You screamed worse than that" _Alby _smirked relishing the look when _Gally _blushed.

**Need a new diaper,**

"Nappy" Newt inputted.

Alby sighed in frustration making Newt jump in shock "Are you going to do that for everything"

"What if I do?"

"I will probably end up punching you."

Newt smiled almost shyly "You know you would never hurt me."

Alby grumbled something under his breathe making Newt chuckle.

**shuck-face?" **

"**My name's Thomas." He had to get away from this guy. Without another word, he made for the stairs, only because they were close, only because he had no idea what to do or say.**

"Straight to where the screaming is?" _Brenda _raised an eyebrow at _Thomas _who just chuckled nervously.

**But the bully**

"Whoa you did not just call me a bully" Gally looked over at Thomas astonished.

"Well you are a bully here" _Thomas _said glaring daggers at _Gally._

**stepped in front of him, holding a hand up. **

"**Hold on there, Greenie." He jerked a thumb in the direction of the upper floor. "Newbies aren't allowed to see someone who's been . . . **_**taken**_**. Newt and Alby won't allow it."**

"We still wouldn't allow you to come up. You would still probably klunk your pants" _Alby_ smirked yet again.

_Gally's _face turned red again though this time it wasn't in embarrassment. It was in pure molten anger, and in any second he was going to blow.

"**What's your problem?" Thomas asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice, trying not to think what the kid had meant by taken. "I don't even know where I am. All I want is some help."**

"Well you ain't gonna get it from me"_ Gally _hissed.

_Thomas _rolled his eyes "I know that now slint head."

"**Listen to me, Greenbean." The boy wrinkled up his face, folded his arms. "I've seen you before. Something's fishy about you showing up here, and I'm gonna find out what." **

"You figured it out yet?" _Thomas _asked, somewhat curiously but that couldn't be seen past the frown which marred his face.

_Alby _sent _Gally _a warning look, and shaked his head.

"No" was all the latter muttered.

**A surge of heat pulsed through Thomas's veins. "I've never seen you before in my life. I have no idea who you are, and I couldn't care less," he spat. But really, how would he know?**

"I don't know about you guys but I am really curious as to what the shuck is going on with Tommy and the changing" _Newt _said a wry grin on his face.

_Jorge _and _Brenda _shared a look, not sure how everyone will cope when they discover _Thomas,_ _Teresa _and _Aris _all had a part in putting them in the maze.

**And how could this kid remember**_** him**_**? **

**The bully snickered, a short burst of laughter mixed with a phlegm-filled snort.**

"Dude not cool" Gally face palmed himself sending a false hurt look towards Thomas who was finding it hard to stifle his laughter.

"Sorry mate."

**Then his face grew serious, his eyebrows slanting inward. "I've . . . **_**seen**_** you, shank. Not too many in these parts can say they've been stung."**

"Quite a few people have" _Newt _said in defence.

**He pointed up the stairs. "I have. I know what old Benny baby's going through. I've been there. And I saw **_**you**_** during the Changing." **

_Thomas _frowned, what if he had actually done something really bad. _Alby _had said that it was nothing to worry over but there must be a reason as to why _Gally _hated him so much and that Ben tried to kill him.

**He reached out and poked Thomas in the chest. "And I bet your first meal from Frypan that Benny'll say he's seen ya, too."**

"You owe me a meal" _Gally _said looking at _Thomas._

"Fat chance."

**Thomas refused to break eye contact but decided to say nothing. Panic ate at him once again. Would things ever stop getting worse? **

"No" _Minho _laughed.

_Thomas _rolled his eyes "I know that now shank."

Thomas gulped in fear; things are going to get worse?

"**Griever got ya wettin' yourself?" the boy said through a sneer. "A little scared now? Don't wanna get **_**stung**_**, do ya?" **

"Does anyone?" _Teresa _asked in a strangled voice.

**There was that word again. **_**Stung.**_** Thomas tried not to think about it and pointed up the stairs, from where the moans of the sick kid echoed through the building. "If Newt went up there, then I wanna talk to him." **

_Newt _smiled in friendly way "Awww Tommy I love you too."

_Thomas _blushed "That's alright you can save that for Alby."

Both _Alby _and _Newt _blushed furiously in embarrassment.

**The boy said nothing, stared at Thomas for several seconds. Then he shook his head. "You know what? You're right, Tommy—**

"Don't call me that… Only Newt can call me that just like only Teresa can call me Tom" _Thomas _said defensively.

Both Newts and Teresa's shared a look with each other, secretly proud that he was so defensive.

**I shouldn't be so mean to Newbies. Go on upstairs and I'm sure Alby and Newt'll fill you in. Seriously, go on. I'm sorry."**

"Dude's we're mates and I still wouldn't trust you if you said that to me" Thomas laughed his green eyes full of youth.

**He lightly slapped Thomas's shoulder, then stepped back, gesturing up the stairs. But Thomas knew the kid was up to something. Losing parts of your memory didn't make you an idiot.**

"Thank God" Minho chuckled.

"**What's your name?" Thomas asked, stalling for time while he tried to decide if he should go up after all. **

"Perfect plan" Minho rolled his eyes at Thomas' petty diversion.

"**Gally. And don't let anyone fool you. I'm the real leader here,**

Both Alby's snorted.

**not the two geezer shanks upstairs.**

"What did you just call us?" _Alby _and _Newt _said simultaneously scandalised both glaring daggers at the boy.

_Gally _gulped in fear at the two furious looks he was getting.

"Oooh klunk is going to go down here" Minho said excitedly looking between the three.

"Geezers?" _Newt _repeated.

Aris hastily continued not wanting a fight to go on.

**Me. You can call me Captain Gally if you want."**

"Captain Gally can shuck off" _Alby _growled.

**He smiled for the first time; his teeth matched his disgusting nose. Two or three were missing, and not a single one approached anything close to the colour white.**

This was something Gally didn't mind. Smiling widely revealed two sets of braces going along shining white teeth. "Braces are annoying as hell but I'd rather have this on, then have my teeth like that" he said proudly.

However, _Gally _was seething. Sneering he revealed his distasteful teeth.

"Don't sneer at us it's not our shucking fault you don't brush your teeth" _Newt _wrinkled his nose in disgust.

**His breath escaped just enough for Thomas to get a whiff, reminding him of some horrible memory that was just out of reach. It made his stomach turn.**

"Dude you really might want to consider asking for a tooth brush" _Alby_ shuddered.

"Okay," he said, so sick of the guy he wanted to scream, punch him in the face.

"Please do" _Minho _and _Chuck _chanted together pleadingly.

"**Captain Gally it is." He exaggerated a salute, feeling a rush of adrenaline, as he knew he'd just crossed a line. **

A few sniggers were emitted but were cut off quickly by the look _Gally_ sent them.

**A few snickers escaped the crowd, and Gally looked around, his face bright red. He peered back at Thomas, hatred furrowing his brow and crinkling his monstrous nose. **

"Okay I really hope you stop going on about my nose now" Gally frowned looking genuinely hurt. He knew he wasn't the best looking shank around but he didn't like people to go on about it.

"**Just go up the stairs," Gally said. "And stay away from me, you little slinthead."**

"Ooooh scary" Minho sniggered.

**He pointed up again but didn't take his eyes off Thomas. **

"**Fine." Thomas looked around one more time, embarrassed, confused, angry.**

"Dude make up your mind" _Minho _frowned, he only had two emotions. He was either happy or angry.

**He felt the heat of blood in his face. No one made a move to stop him from doing as Gally asked, except for Chuck, who stood at the front door, shaking his head. **

"Why does no one listen to me?" _Chuck _asked in confusion.

"We do listen to you, it just doesn't sink in" _Newt _tried to reassure putting a hand on the younger boys shoulder.

_Chuck _nodded before realising what the older boy had just said "hey!"

"**You're not supposed to," the younger boy said. "You're a Newbie—you can't go up there." **

"**Go," said Gally with a sneer. "Go on up."**

"You would listen to him and not me?" Chuck asked feigning a hurt look.

Thomas just rolled his eyes and nudged Chuck reassuringly.

**Thomas regretted having come inside in the first place—but he **_**did**_** want to talk to that Newt guy.**

"Dude you should have just asked someone to come and get me" _Newt _raised an eyebrow.

Thomas looked between the two Newts. He didn't know how a person could be so nice. Everyone knew that Newt's had shit in his life, no one knows specifically what, but the boy never failed to be nice to others… He truly was inspirational. Thomas doesn't know what he would do without the Geordie lad… Then again no one would know what to do.

**He started up the stairs. Each step groaned and creaked under his weight;**

"Who's the fatty now?" _Alby _glared at _Thomas._

"If it only creaked and groaned with me, it must be an orchestra when you go up them" _Thomas _snorted.

Alby's face went red with anger "I'm not shucking fat."

**he might've stopped for fear of falling through the old wood if he weren't leaving such an awkward situation below.**

"Should of went back dude" _Chuck _said with a shrug.

"Should have" All the students said simultaneously making _Chuck _jump.

"Excuse me?"

"It's should have, not should of" Newt explained gently.

"Trust us, it's drilled into us ever since we started Glade high" Minho grinned.

**Up he went, wincing at every splintered sound. The stairs reached a landing, turned left, then came upon a railed hallway leading to several rooms. Only one door had a light coming through the crack at the bottom. **

All the students leaned forward intrigued at what they will hear/witness.

"**The Changing!" Gally shouted from below. "Look forward to it, shuck-face!"**

"Little shank" Alby muttered.

**As if the taunting gave Thomas a sudden burst of courage, he walked over to the lit door, ignoring the creaking floorboards and laughter downstairs—**

Gally sent a confused look towards his counterpart. It really sounded like him and Thomas' counterpart hated each other. There was a time that him and Thomas didn't get on like two peas in a pod, but it wasn't half as bad as the relationship the other two had… It was just weird to see two exact replicas of himself and Thomas hate each other so much.

**ignoring the onslaught of words he didn't understand, suppressing the dreadful feelings they induced. He reached down, turned the brass handle, and opened the door.**

**Inside the room, Newt and Alby crouched over someone lying on a bed. **

The students, Jorge and Janson were beyond intrigued now. Wanting to know what was up with Ben. The boy in their world was some sort of a lunatic, so it would be interesting to find out what is actually up with him.

**Thomas leaned in closer to see what the fuss was all about, but when he got a clear look at the condition of the patient, his heart went cold.**

_Alby _shivered, his face going pale.

Seeing his friend in minor distress _Newt _reached out and grabbed his hand giving it a reassuring squeeze before the other boy snatched his hand away giving him a dirty look.

_Alby _regretted it as soon as he did it. Seeing the look of hurt flash across _Newt's _face, before it had returned back to normal was heart breaking. He knew he had treated the blonde badly these past few days but he wasn't ready to emit his feelings yet… He didn't even fully know what his feelings meant.

**He had to fight the bile that surged up his throat. **

**The look was fast—only a few seconds—but it was enough to haunt him forever. A twisted, pale figure writhing in agony, chest bare and hideous. Tight, rigid cords of sickly green veins webbed across the boy's body and limbs, like ropes under his skin.**

All the students and gladers paled.

Chuck actually looked as though he was going to vomit.

"What is happening?" Jorge looked horrified.

"The changing" _Gally _answered in a haunted tone.

**Purplish bruises covered the kid, red hives, bloody scratches. His bloodshot eyes bulged, darting back and forth. The image had already burned into Thomas's mind before Alby jumped up,**

_Thomas _shuddered the thought of Ben still made him feel sick.

**blocking the view but not the moans and screams, pushing Thomas out of the room, then slamming the door shut behind them.**

"Always the leader" Newt chuckled fondly.

"What do you expect, I'm head boy" Alby grinned.

"You do know I would have got that place if I paid more attention" Minho snickered cheekily.

"Well you don't so that's why I'm head boy" Alby said with finality.

"**What're you doing up here, Greenie!" Alby yelled, his lips taut with anger, eyes on fire.**

"Oooooh Thomas is in trouble" Teresa chuckled lightly, turning to the side to make it look as though she was bitching to Brenda.

**Thomas felt weak. "I . . . uh . . . want some answers," **

"Wow you're one tough cookie, going up against Alby like that." _Minho _said impressed, especially considering that it was the greenbean's first day there as well.

**he murmured, but he couldn't put any strength in his words—felt himself give up inside.**

"Let's just say you reacted better than most people would have" _Jorge _said, he remembered watching the scene on the screens. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the younger boy.

**What was wrong with that kid? Thomas slouched against the railing in the hallway and stared at the floor, not sure what to do next. **

"You have Alby yelling for the whole of shucking America at you and you're not scared" Chuck asked gobsmacked.

"Trust me when you have just witnessed what I did, my mind really wasn't on Alby" _Thomas _explained with raised brows.

"**Get your runtcheeks down those stairs, right now," Alby ordered. "Chuck'll help you. If I see you again before tomorrow morning, you ain't reachin' another one alive. I'll throw you off the Cliff myself, you get me?" **

"Wow that's one angry shank" Brenda whistled.

**Thomas was humiliated and scared. He felt like he'd shrunk to the size of a small rat. **

"Ew" Teresa complained.

**Without saying a word, he pushed past Alby and headed down the creaky steps, going as fast as he dared. Ignoring the gaping stares of everyone at the bottom—especially Gally—**

_Gally _had a smug look upon his face.

**he walked out the door, pulling Chuck by the arm as he did so. **

**Thomas hated these people. He hated all of them. Except Chuck.**

_Newt _raised an eyebrow shocked "Wow I never thought you thought that low of me."

_Thomas _sighed though he was telling the absolute truth when he said "and except Newt too."

"Much better."

"**Get me away from these guys," Thomas said. He realized that Chuck might actually be his only friend in the world.**

"You're quite a pessimist aren't you Tommy?" _Newt _asked with a childish smirk on his face.

"Yes" all of the students (except Thomas), Jorge and Janson said together.

Thomas blushed furiouslyin embarrassment, his face literally brick red.

"**You got it," Chuck replied, his voice chipper, as if thrilled to be needed.**

"To be honest I was" _Chuck _admitted shyly, his cheeks tinging red.

_Thomas _smiled happily, he don't know what he will do if _Chuck _wasn't by his side. He has literally been his friend from the beginning.

"**But first we should get you some food from Frypan." **

"**I don't know if I can ever eat again." Not after what he'd just seen.**

"Well it would be stupid if you didn't" _Brenda _rolled her eyes at the boy.

**Chuck nodded. "Yeah, you will. I'll meet you at the same tree as before. Ten minutes." **

**Thomas was more than happy to get away from the house, and headed back toward the tree. He'd only known what it was like to be alive here for a short while and he already wanted it to end.**

Both Newt's frowned, that didn't sound good. Especially how they had both had that same thought themselves…

The only difference was they tried to act upon it.

**He wished for all the world he could remember something about his previous life. Anything. His mom,**

"Mum" Newt yet again.

**his dad, a friend, his school, a hobby. A girl.**

Teresa bit her lip, sharing a glance with Thomas who just looked at her with wide eyes. Everyone knows they will get together sooner or later because the attraction was there, but Thomas didn't know something just didn't feel right.

**He blinked hard several times, trying to get the image of what he'd just seen in the shack out of his mind. **

_**The Changing**_**. Gally had called it the Changing. **

**It wasn't cold, but Thomas shuddered once again.**

"That's the end of the chapter" Aris said.

"Can I get my schoolbag now?" Newt said trying not to sound urgent.

"Yeah follow me." _Minho _said directing Newt to homestead. Once they were a bit away from the rest of crowed the Asian boy finally asked "what do you need out of your bag so much?"

"Oh I just have British stuff in there like Hobnobs and Cadbury's chocolate fingers, I just a get a bit peckish sometimes and it's not like the American stuff… I don't get it that often" That wasn't a complete lie, when living in a boarding school you need to make sure you have food on you at all times and what better than Cadbury's… Though that wasn't why it was so urgent.

"There you go" _Minho _said uncertain, pointing to the bags.

Newt immediately rushed to his bag (the teal one which was covered mostly by band badges) and started routing through it forgetting that _Minho _was watching him he took out four bottles which were full to the brim with tablets. Grabbing a bottle of water from his bag he took one of every tablet, the ones he had failed to take this morning due to all of this happening.

"What's that?" _Minho _asked concerned.

"Medication" Newt answered.

"You're sick?"

Newt nodded looking somewhat ashamed. Though then he smiled gently "I'll be fine though, I just need tablets to keep me healthy. Just don't tell anyone please."

_Minho _didn't look too impressed but nodded nevertheless, deciding not to say anything.

"Oh and I actually do have hobnobs in my bag." Newt grinned as they walked back.

Jorge sent Newt a look and the blonde just nodded smiling slightly.

"I'm reading next it's been decided" _Gally _said with a grunt.

* * *

_**Okay last chapter was a complete and epic fail considering I got no reviews, no follows and no favourites... Is there anything I'm doing wrong?**_

_**Please take the poll on my profile though before you do that PLEASE REVIEW! I AM GETTING DESPERATE!**_


	4. MR - Chapter 4

_**Okay I know I've not updated in quite a few weeks but that is because I have started college now and the work is unbelievable. I just updated tonight because I really wanted to get a chapter up so I sacrificed some time to do this so I hope you appreciate it :)**_

_**Disclaimer: I am not James Dashner, for starters I am lacking a piece of anatomy to actually make me him... so yeah I think that proves I'm not James Dashner ;)**_

_**Warning: A swear word, slash etc.**_

* * *

**Thomas leaned against the tree as he waited for Chuck. He scanned the compound of the Glade, this new place of nightmares where he seemed destined to live.**

"You are so melodramatic" Teresa winked playfully at Thomas, whose cheeks tinted slightly red.

Both _Teresa _and _Thomas _frowned in confusion, in the other world they seemed to be like great friends, maybe from how they acted possible lovers. That's just what confused them; they can't remember being like that but for some reason the thought of acting like that around each other didn't seem weird.

'_Wonder if we were like that before all this klunk started?'_ _Teresa _thought to _Thomas _who flinched visably, he still wasn't too used to the idea that he can speak to this girl in his mind.

Most of the gladers turned to look at him weirdly, as though he had just sprouted a new pair of ears but the boy just shrugged it off.

'_Don't know' Thomas _tried to reply, but after getting no answer from the girl he had to face that he was a shucking awful telepathic.

**The shadows from the walls had lengthened considerably, already creeping up the sides of the ivy-covered stone faces on the other side. **

"Why go into so much detail about a shucking wall?" _Minho _rolled his eyes; he had seen those four same walls everyday now for two years. The last thing he wanted was for Thomas to go into detail about it.

"We see them enough, you don't need to keep going bloody on about it" _Newt _sighed tiredly. He was starting to get desperate now; he wanted to get out of this shucking place more than ever. However, the odds have not been in his favour even when he did try to get out of this place by his own dangerous way the gods would still not allow him to leave.

"You will be hearing this a lot, Thomas loves going into detail" Aris chuckled. Everyone knew that Thomas was the best story teller in the whole school and that was the reason why.

**At least this helped Thomas know directions—the wooden building crouched in the northwest corner, wedged in a darkening patch of shadow,**

"You are determined to dislike homestead" _Gally _interrupted himself glaring at _Thomas _who glared back just as furiously.

_Minho_ slapped his hand to his forehead, sighing with disbelief. "Gally everyone hates shucking homestead except you. Why do you think everybody sleeps out bloody side?"

_Gally_ blushed furiously making most of the gladers and students chuckle. Seehting with hate he turned back to the book.

**the grove of trees in the southwest. The farm area, where a few workers were still picking their way through the fields, spread across the entire northeast quarter of the Glade. The animals were in the southeast corner, mooing and crowing and baying. **

"I don't think I would have it in me to kill an animal" _Brenda _gagged thanking God she wasn't put in any of the glades.

"Good job you weren't put into the glade then" _Newt _spoke, a tiny hint of bitterness could be heard shocking all the gladers.

_Alby's _look turned dark, the last time _Newt _had sound so bitter about something was the day he later had to drag his friend who was half dead out of the maze, which would have meant certain death. Gripping the top of his friends arm tightly he whispered demandingly "We will talk about this later."

_Newt _turned to glare at the dark skinned boy, but his face softened as soon as he did because there was not only anger on the boy's face, only he could see the worry lying behind it. Grudgingly he nodded calmly snatching his arm back.

Newt and Alby watched the interaction closely. Their counterparts in the glade obviously didn't have the same relationship they did. Where _Newt _was stronger minded in the glade, Newt was weaker minded and needed a lot more help with his self-esteem. And _Alby _was fierce yet caring, Alby was calm and sympathetic to the boy he calls friend.

**In the exact middle of the courtyard, the still-gaping hole of the Box lay open, as if inviting him to jump back in and go home.**

"Why didn't you just send the lifts back down when we were done?" _Chuck _asked looking timidly at _Janson, _he didn't like Rat Man at all… for some reason he just seemed like a man not to be trusted especially how he acts with the students.

"We liked the thought of having it there as temptation. See how many people would try to get back on it home" _Janson _sent an evil look towards _Minho, Alby _and _Newt _who just scowled at his ratty face.

"That's sick" _Minho _spat in disgust.

_Jorge _turned to look at _Janson _a look of pure betrayal of some sort on his face. "That's truly an awful thing to do" he frowned, working for WICKED turned out to a whole lot different than he expected.

"Oh do shut up, it's all in research of the kill zone" _Janson _hissed viciously.

_Jorge _said nothing, just glared at the man he has to work with.

**Near that, maybe twenty feet to the south, stood a squat building made of rough concrete blocks, a menacing iron door its only entrance—there were no windows. **

"Sounds like a prison" Thomas raised his brow looking at the gladers questioningly.

"The Slammer" _Alby _answered, though he doesn't admit it he loves being in charge and giving the authority of putting people in the slammer.

**A large round handle resembling a steel steering wheel marked the only way to open the door, just like something within a submarine. Despite what he'd just seen, Thomas didn't know which he felt more strongly—curiosity to know what was inside, or dread at finding out.**

Alby gave an evil chuckle, making everybody turn to look at him as though he had gone off the rockers.

"What the shuck are you doing?" _Aris _asked deadpanned.

Alby chuckled even more, now turning into a full evil laugh.

Newt with wide eyes started to move away cautiously from the boy who was laughing like a lunatic. People turned to look at him questioningly but he just shook his head quickly… He had absolutely no bloody clue what was going on with the boy he had grown to love.

After a few more minutes of maniacal laughter, Alby coughed and smiled relishing the open jawed looks he was getting.

"What the hell was that?" Gally asked his jaw almost touching the ground.

"Thought right for the situation, the slammer sounds evil" Alby gave another muahaha type laugh.

"You mean we had to listen to you laughing like a crazy person for five minutes, because you thought it was suitable for the situation" _Brenda _looked murderous, she really wanted to know more of what was going to happen in the book instead she had to listen to this bafoon laughing for five minutes.

"Pretty much" Alby shrugged with a smirk.

"Alby" Minho said.

"Yeah?"

"You're an idiot."

"And proud" Alby said seriously, slipping into head boy mode.

**Thomas had just moved his attention to the four vast openings in the middle of the main walls of the Glade when Chuck arrived, a couple of sandwiches cradled in his arms, **

"Food's like a baby, you have to be delicate with it" _Chuck _said affectionately making the gladers and students and even both Jorge's laugh.

"I have never known anyone to like food as much as you do" Jorge said in disbelief, the amount of times he had tried to get that boy to do PE is unbelievable.

"Probably going to stay that way" both Chucks said simultaneously.

**along with apples**

"Chuck's eating healthily! What has happened to the world?" Thomas shouted dramatically a mock shocked expression on his face.

Chuck just rolled his eyes, playfully punching the other boy on the arm.

**and two metal cups of water. The sense of relief that flooded through Thomas surprised him—he wasn't completely alone in this place. **

_Thomas _and _Chuck _smiled at each other. They were more or less brothers now, especially with all the klunk that has been happening recently they're probably even closer now.

"**Frypan wasn't too happy about me invading his kitchen before suppertime," Chuck said, sitting down next to the tree, motioning to Thomas to do the same. He did, grabbed the sandwich, but hesitated, the writhing, monstrous image of what he'd seen in the shack popping back into his mind.**

All the students shivered in disgust, the gladers were now supressing theirs. They had been in the glade a long time now, and all of them, except _Teresa_, had at least once seen someone go through the changing, so they had to be strong.

**Soon, though, his hunger won out and he took a huge bite. The wonderful tastes of ham and cheese and mayonnaise filled his mouth. **

Both Brenda's wrinkled their noses when they heard about the mayonnaise on the sandwich. "You just ruined a perfectly good sandwich by doing that" Brenda said.

Most of the students and gladers looked scandalised when the girl's words reached their ears.

"You create the sandwich, Hellman's makes the sandwich" Chuck said with his eyes closed as though he was in deep prayer.

"Amen" All the students, except Brenda of course, said together.

"You know you guys a really weird" _Newt _smirked, whilst all the students nodded.

"Who would want to be normal?" Minho snorted.

"**Ah, man," Thomas mumbled through a mouthful. "I was starving." **

"**Told ya." Chuck chomped into his own sandwich. **

"What a surprise" Jorge rolled his eyes chuckling lightly.

**After another couple of bites, Thomas finally asked the question that had been bothering him. "What's actually wrong with that Ben guy? He doesn't even look human anymore." **

"You're too curious for your own good" _Alby _raised an eyebrow challengingly at _Thomas _who looked shocked.

"Why wouldn't I be, I just witnessed someone looking like a human pretzel" _Thomas _defended flabbergasted. How could _Alby _not think that?

_Alby _seemed to contemplate for a second before giving in with a nod of his head. "Point taken."

**Chuck glanced over at the house. "Don't really know," he muttered absently. "I didn't see him." **

**Thomas could tell the boy was being less than honest but decided not to press him. **

_Newt _sent a look at _Chuck _who looked anywhere but at the blonde haired boy, they both knew that if _Thomas _was to have pressed the boy he would have finally cracked and told the other boy what exactly was going on possibly petrifying the boy even more.

"**Well, you don't want to see him, trust me." He continued to eat, munching on the apples as he studied the huge breaks in the walls. Though it was hard to make out from where he sat, there was something odd about the stone edges of the exits to the outside corridors.**

"Oh it's not the reason that it's the exits to a huge maze that we've tried to break for what? Only two years now." _Gally _shrugged sending a look towards _Thomas._

_Alby _sighed "that's enough you too. I swear on bloody klunk if you two don't shut your traps you will both have a week in the slammer and we will continue to read these books without you." He threatened.

Both boys sent a one last glare at each other, before _Gally _continued with the book.

**He felt an uncomfortable sense of vertigo looking at the towering walls, as if he hovered above them instead of sitting at their base. **

"Hover above them?" Newt asked confused, he rubbed his head tiredly. His medication weren't seeming to help him yet.

Jorge noticed this instantly "I think in a few more chapters we will take a break" he stated and all the others nodded.

Looking towards the sky _Minho _nodded "It will be dark soon anyway. So we might as well go to sleep."

Newt nodded sending an appreciative look towards Jorge who nodded in return.

Alby frowned in confusion, not sure as to what was up with his best friend. However, he didn't want to ask, his friend after all was entitled to a private life.

"**What's out there?" he asked, finally breaking the silence. "Is this part of a huge castle or something?" **

"I wish" _Newt _smiled grimly.

"We all wished" _Alby _rolled his eyes tiredly.

**Chuck hesitated. Looked uncomfortable. "Um, I've never been outside the Glade." **

"I very much prefer it inside the Glade thank you very much" _Chuck _said with a nervous chuckle.

"Don't worry we will get you running in no time" _Minho _chuckled evilly.

"Don't you start laughing now as well" _Brenda _pointed a threatening finger towards _Minho _who wanted to audibly gulp but resisted it, not wanting to show any weakness.

**Thomas paused. "You're hiding something," he finally replied, finishing off his last bite and taking a long swig of water.**

"You make it out as though you're drinking alcohol" Newt snorted with a shy smile on his face.

"And you would know about that how?" Janson had his mouth set in a grim line.

Newts smile immediately vanished choosing to look anywhere but at Janson, his hands wringing together nervously.

Thomas watched the exchange fascinated. What the hell was going on there?

**The frustration at getting no answers from anyone was starting to grind his nerves. It only made it worse to think that even if he did get answers, he wouldn't know if he'd be getting the truth. "Why are you guys so secretive?" **

"If we weren't so secretive, this book would be boring so far" Gally rolled his eyes. Thomas did the most sensible thing and stuck his tongue out at the older boy.

"**That's just the way it is. Things are really weird around here, and most of us don't know everything. Half of everything." **

"You really are a bad liar, you know that." _Teresa _raised her dark eyebrows at the younger boy whose chubby face went furiously red.

**It bothered Thomas that Chuck didn't seem to care about what he'd just said. That he seemed indifferent to having his life taken away from him. What was wrong with these people?**

"We have been spending the past two years stuck in a maze, with the same so many odd boys trying to get out of this shucking Glade with failure… Oh yeah also whilst trying to not get our arses shucking stung off be grievers" _Minho _said sarcastically.

"Are you ever not sarcastic?" _Teresa _asked with a roll of her eyes.

"Deal with it" _Minho _grounded through his teeth, he hadn't known this girl for long and she was already starting to piss him off.

**Thomas got to his feet and started walking toward the eastern opening. "Well, no one said I couldn't look around." He needed to learn something or he was going to lose his mind. **

"**Whoa, wait!" Chuck cried, running to catch up. "Be careful, those puppies are about to close." He already sounded out of breath. **

"Rock doors which open and close sound so cool" Chuck said excitedly.

"Do you want to take our places in here because feel free, I know I don't want to be here" _Newt _said to the younger boy.

Chuck looked at the older boy sympathetically shaking his head; he hated being in Glade high most of the times. In here would be so much worse.

"**Close?" Thomas repeated. "What are you talking about?" **

"**The Doors, you shank." **

"C'mon you can't tell me you thought they were doors when you first saw them" _Thomas _looked around the gladers hoping one of them will back him up.

Thankfully, being the nice person he is _Newt _did with downcast eyes "yeah we didn't know they were doors, so on the first day we had to watch Abe become juice on the floor by getting bloody squished by those shucking things."

Everyone paled, even the teachers had a horrified looks on their faces.

_Minho _and _Alby _just shivered, they couldn't have had a worst first day then that.

"**Doors? I don't see any doors." Thomas knew Chuck wasn't just making stuff up—he knew he was missing something obvious.**

"Maybe a giant hole which is in the walls" _Chuck _offered sarcastically earning a playful glare from _Thomas._

**He grew uneasy and realized he'd slowed his pace, not so eager to reach the walls anymore.**

"That happens to everybody except Chuck more or less just waddled to the doors rather than ran" _Alby _joked in a serious/playful tone.

"Is it pick on Chuck day or something?" _Chuck _asked bewildered with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest childishly.

"**What do you call those big openings?" Chuck pointed up at the enormously tall gaps in the walls. They were only thirty feet away now. **

"**I'd call them big openings," Thomas said, trying to counter his discomfort with sarcasm and disappointed that it wasn't working. **

"Sorry dude that only works for me" Minho smirked proudly, sitting up a tiny bit straighter.

"And there's nothing you can do about it" _Minho _agreed with a straight face.

"**Well, they're doors. And they close up every night." **

**Thomas stopped, thinking Chuck had to have said something wrong. He looked up, looked side to side, examined the massive slabs of stone as the uneasy feeling blossomed into outright dread. **

"**What do you mean, they close?" **

"Are you honestly that slow Tom?" Teresa rolled her eyes half-heartedly at her friend who stuck his tongue out at her childishly.

"**Just see for yourself in a minute. The Runners'll be back soon; then those big walls are going to move until the gaps are closed." **

"Thank shucking God as well" _Aris _sighed in relief, he would be a dead man if they didn't, they all would be dead men/women.

"**You're jacked in the head," Thomas muttered. He couldn't see how the mammoth walls could possibly be mobile—felt so sure of it he relaxed, thinking Chuck was just playing a trick on him.**

"That is not something to joke about in the Glade" _Chuck _told them in a dead serious tone.

_Thomas _didn't say anything, he knew very well now that stuff what could cause death was nothing to joke about, especially in the Glade where the chance of dying is multiplied by a million.

**They reached the huge split that led outside to more stone pathways. Thomas gaped, his mind emptying of thought as he saw it all first hand. **

"I know I would not be able to survive in there, it would drive me even loopier" Newt said wide eyed.

Jorge turned to look at his student "You're not loopy" he told the boy calmly.

Newt just shrugged, to him he was loopy… he was insane and he felt no one else knew how it felt to be like that.

"**This is called the East Door," Chuck said, as if proudly revealing a piece of art he'd created.**

"The walls are nothing to be proud of Chuck" _Newt _spoke like a wise old man, teaching the younger children right from wrong.

_Chuck _looked ashamed for a second before shrugging it off, everyone made mistakes.

**Thomas barely heard him, shocked by how much bigger it was up close. At least twenty feet across, the break in the wall went all the way to the top, far above. The edges that bordered the vast opening were smooth, except for one odd, repeating pattern on both sides.**

"We had to get you thinking even more somehow" _Janson _smirked evilly.

_Minho _was nearly shaking with pure anger; Rat Man was seriously starting to shuck him off. The whole maze was a test to use them like lab rats. If he carried on the way he did Rat Man will soon be getting a knuckle sandwich for lunch, from yours truly _Minho_.

**On the left side of the East Door, deep holes several inches in diameter and spaced a foot apart were bored into the rock, beginning near the ground and continuing all the way up. **

"That's weird" Brenda stated.

**On the right side of the Door, foot-long rods jutted out from the wall edge, also several inches in diameter, in the same pattern as the holes facing them on the other side. The purpose was obvious. "Are you kidding?" Thomas asked, the dread slamming back into his gut. "You weren't playing with me? The walls really move?"**

"This place just gets odder and odder the more we read about it" Alby stated and all the students and even teachers nodded in agreement.

"Trust me it's only going to get a whole lot odder." _Minho _told them in an unusual serious tone.

"**What else would I have meant?" **

**Thomas had a hard time wrapping his mind around the possibility. "I don't know. I figured there was a door that swung shut or a little mini-wall that slid out of the big one.**

"I can see your reasoning, but no" _Newt _chuckled.

**How could these walls move? They're huge, and they look like they've been standing here for a thousand years."**

"With a lot of noise" _Gally _cringed, he was used to the sound by now but that didn't mean he liked it.

**And the idea of those walls closing and trapping him inside this place they called the Glade was downright terrifying. **

"Better than being trapped out there" _Chuck _shivered pointing towards the closed doors.

All the students frowned in confusion as to what is actually out there, whatever it was it did not sound good in the slightest bit, the grievers sounded a whole lot worse than their caretaker.

**Chuck threw his arms up, clearly frustrated. "I don't know, they just move. Makes one heck of a grinding noise.**

All the gladers shivered, the noise of the doors were truly horrible.

**Same thing happens out in the Maze—those walls shift every night, too."**

"No wonder you can't find a shucking way out." Gally said in shock, thinking he would die on the first day if he himself and not his counterpart were in the glade.

**Thomas, his attention suddenly snapped up by a new detail, turned to face the younger boy. "What did you just say?" **

Both chucks face palmed themselves, there were truly shucking awful at keeping secrets.

"Remind me never to tell you anything" Gally looked over at Chuck who looked momentarily shocked then gave in with a nod of his chubby head.

"**Huh?" **

"**You just called it a maze—you said, 'same thing happens out in the maze.' " **

_Alby _leaned over and smacked _Chuck _lightly on the back of the head. "I knew we should have never trusted the Newbie with this slint head" the dark skinned boy grumbled.

**Chuck's face reddened. "I'm done with you. I'm done." He walked back toward the tree they'd just left. **

"Yeah as if I'm just going to forget" Thomas rolled his eyes. "As people has said once before we don't go to a school of high intellectuals for nothing."

Chuck grumbled under his breath, something which sounded distinctly as '"Pick on shucking Chuck day."

**Thomas ignored him, more interested than ever in the outside of the Glade. A maze? In front of him, through the East Door, he could make out passages leading to the left, to the right, and straight ahead. **

"Congratulations you're not an idiot" _Minho _exclaimed sarcastically making _Thomas _jump in fear.

"Oh shut up slint head" The boy chuckled pushing the Asian boy over onto the ground.

**And the walls of the corridors were similar to those that surrounded the Glade, the ground made of the same massive stone blocks as in the courtyard. The ivy seemed even thicker out there.**

"Comes in handy when you're hauling fatty up a wall" _Thomas _joked.

_Alby's _face reddened with rage, with a threatening finger he spoke "I swear to Shuck Thomas, if you don't shut you're god damn mouth about me being fat, which I'm not. You're going to spending the rest of your life in the slammer."

Most people had to hold their breaths to keep from laughing as _Alby's _chest raised and fell quickly in order to catch his breath.

After a moment of silence, "You're not exactly skinny either" _Thomas _muttered but because of the silence everybody could hear.

Furious laughter erupted throughout all the teenagers. However, _Alby _was shaking with pure loathing. He looked ready to strike at any moment.

**In the distance, more breaks in the walls led to other paths, and farther down, maybe a hundred yards or so away, the straight passage came to a dead end.**

"A runner in the making" _Newt _smiled.

"**Looks like a maze," Thomas whispered, almost laughing to himself. As if things couldn't have gotten any stranger.**

"The strangeness will soon continue" _Chuck _chuckled, nothing about the Glade could surprise him anymore.

**They'd wiped his memory and put him inside a gigantic maze. It was all so crazy it really did seem funny. **

"Doesn't sound funny at all so I don't know why you would have thought it funny" _Brenda _frowned, this boy was seriously confusing to her.

**His heart skipped a beat when a boy unexpectedly appeared around a corner up ahead, entering the main passage from one of the offshoots to the right, running toward him and the Glade. Covered in sweat, his face red, clothes sticking to his body,**

"That's disgusting" Teresa wrinkled her nose. She couldn't imagine anything worse than body odour on a man.

**the boy didn't slow, hardly glancing at Thomas as he went past. He headed straight for the squat concrete building located near the Box. **

"I can't say that I miss being a runner" _Newt _said truthfully, he misses the ability to be able to run properly but by no means the actual job. He preferred his job of being the glade 'mother'.

**Thomas turned as he passed, his eyes riveted to the exhausted runner, unsure why this new development surprised him so much. **

"Maybe because you were born to be a runner, even if you do heave up your lungs after every run" Aris said playfully.

Thomas rolled his eyes at the mixed raced boy, but couldn't help long for when they hopefully give him that cure. It wasn't easy being on the running team when the coach thinks you're going to collapse every 10 seconds due to your lungs not working properly.

**Why wouldn't people go out and search the maze? Then he realized others were entering through the remaining three Glade openings, all of them running and looking as ragged as the guy who'd just whisked by him.**

"Excuse me I do not look ragged" _Minho _raised one of his dark eyebrows at _Thomas _who just smiled.

**There couldn't be much good about the maze if these guys came back looking so weary and worn.**

"You try running for a day and not look worn out" _Minho _defended.

"I have" _Thomas _smirked.

"Sorry to burst your bubble but you look like klunk every day after you've ran." _Chuck _giggled.

"You can't be any worse than me, at least your lungs work sufficiently" Thomas gave a sad smile, his asthma stopped him from doing so much.

**He watched, curious, as they met at the big iron door of the small building; one of the boys turned the rusty wheel handle, grunting with the effort. Chuck had said something about runners earlier. What had they been doing out there? **

"Thomas" everyone groaned simultaneously.

"It's in the name" Brenda chuckled half-heartedly at the boy who was now flushed bright red in embarrassment.

**The big door finally popped open, and with a deafening squeal of metal against metal,**

"We really need to oil that door" _Minho _said thoughtfully.

"You think?" _Newt _shivered, even though that noise isn't half as bad as the maze doors.

**the boys swung it wide. They disappeared inside, pulling it shut behind them with a loud clonk. Thomas stared, his mind churning to come up with any possible explanation for what he'd just witnessed.**

"I'd rather you think of an explanation rather than me have to explain it… I hate newbie day" _Alby _groaned because it was his job as the leader to give the grand tour which meant loads of questions from the Newbies.

**Nothing developed, but something about that creepy old building gave him goose bumps, a disquieting chill. **

**Someone tugged on his sleeve, breaking him from his thoughts; Chuck had come back.**

"Can't hold a grudge that long can you?" Teresa smiled amusingly down at the boy.

**Before Thomas had a chance to think, questions were rushing out of his mouth. "Who are those guys and what were they doing? What's in that building?" He wheeled around and pointed out the East Door. "And why do you live inside a freaking maze?" He felt a rattling pressure of uncertainty, making his head splinter with pain. **

"I shall say it once again I hate shucking Newbie day because that's normally me everyone asks the questions to.

"I will take your place as leader if you want?" _Gally _offered an evil grin plastered onto his face,

"Oh shuck off Captain Gally" _Alby _seethed at the younger teen, that boy seriously shucked him off big time.

"**I'm not saying another word," Chuck replied, a new authority filling his voice. "I think you should get to bed early—you'll need your sleep. Ah"—he stopped, held up a finger, pricking up his right ear— "it's about to happen." **

"You could have told me first that the doors were going to close so my ears were not assaulted at first chance." _Thomas _rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry Tommy, we all went through it. It's unfair that we get to tell you and no one else especially since we didn't even know it happened the first time." _Newt _said with a roll of his eyes dramatically.

"**What?" Thomas asked, thinking it kind of strange that Chuck was suddenly acting like an adult instead of the little kid desperate for a friend he'd been only moments earlier. **

"Split personality, new me" Chuck laughed, knowing that, that could never happen to him in his universe.

**A loud boom exploded through the air, making Thomas jump. It was followed by a horrible crunching, grinding sound.**

All the gladers shivered that noise was truly awful, sounding like the scratching of nails on a chalk board.

**He stumbled backward, fell to the ground. It felt as if the whole earth shook; he looked around, panicked. The walls were closing. The walls were really closing—trapping him inside the Glade.**

"Better inside than out" _Gally _said shivering at the memory of when he broke rule number 3 and it ended him getting stung by a griever and go through the horrible changing.

**An onrushing sense of claustrophobia stifled him, compressed his lungs, as if water filled their cavities. **

"Now you know what it feels like to be me" Thomas raised an eyebrow at everyone, who didn't bother to argue with him because they all knew he was correct.

"**Calm down, Greenie," Chuck yelled over the noise. "It's just the walls!" **

**Thomas barely heard him, too fascinated, too shaken by the closing of the Doors. He scrambled to his feet and took a few trembling steps back for a better view, finding it hard to believe what his eyes were seeing. **

"Truly amazing isn't it" _Janson _said proudly as though he was talking about his own new born baby, instead of a death maze.

"Yeah truly inspirational" _Minho _said sarcastically as always. However, _Rat man_ didn't seem to notice or care.

**The enormous stone wall to the right of them seemed to defy every known law of physics**

"Science has always been controversial"

**as it slid along the ground, throwing sparks and dust as it moved, rock against rock. The crunching sound rattled his bones. Thomas realized that only that wall was moving, heading for its neighbour to the left,**

"They can bloody stay neighbours for all I care. I've not felt this safe in months." _Newt _nodded with the rest of the gladers agreeing with him.

**ready to seal shut with its protruding rods slipping into the drilled holes across from it. He looked around at the other openings. It felt like his head was spinning faster than his body, and his stomach flipped over with the dizziness. On all four sides of the Glade, only the right walls were moving, toward the left, closing the gap of the Doors. **

"I would absolutely hate that, I think that would have to be one of my worst nightmares." Teresa shivered.

**Impossible, he thought. How can they do that? He fought the urge to run out there, slip past the moving slabs of rock before they shut, flee the Glade.**

"No one wants to do that" _Alby _muttered sending a glare towards _Thomas._

"If I hadn't done that you wouldn't be here right now." _Thomas _countered earning a growl of annoyance from _Alby._

**Common sense won out—the maze held even more unknowns than his situation inside. **

**He tried to picture in his mind how the structure of it all worked. Massive stone walls, hundreds of feet high, moving like sliding glass doors—an image from his past life that flashed through his thoughts. **

"So soon?" _Newt _sounded shocked, it had taken most of the gladers quite a few months before they had the tiniest glimpse of their past lives. Yet _Thomas _had managed to do it on his first day.

**He tried to grasp the memory, hold on to it, complete the picture with faces, names, a place, but it faded into obscurity.**

Thomas shivered he would hate not knowing about his family, a pang of sadness pricked at his hear, swirling though all the emotions. He couldn't explain how much he missed his dad.

**A pang of sadness pricked through his other swirling emotions. **

**He watched as the right wall reached the end of its journey, its connecting rods finding their mark and entering without a glitch. An echoing boom rumbled across the Glade as all four Doors sealed shut for the night. **

"Also known as the time you feel safest when you're living in the glade." _Chuck _said.

**Thomas felt one final moment of trepidation, a quick slice of fear through his body, and then it vanished. **

"Well nothing you can do about it now, the walls are closed" _Minho _shrugged.

"You do know I have lived this, I do know what has happened and what has not" _Thomas _rolled his eyes. Most of the students and gladers laughed this point not actually thinking about that.

**A surprising sense of calm eased his nerves; he let out a long sigh of relief. "Wow," he said, feeling dumb at such a monumental understatement. **

"You will surely get kicked out of Glade high with that" Aris said in a mock serious tone.

"**Ain't nothin', as Alby would say,"**

_Alby _looked over at _Chuck _who started to cower behind _Thomas, _"I'm sorry I won't quote from you again."

"Good lad"

**Chuck murmured. "You kind of get used to it after a while."**

"I've been here two years and I still hate it." _Newt _shuddered.

**Thomas looked around one more time, the feel of the place completely different now that all the walls were solid with no way out. **

"The true feeling of there is no way out" _Jorge_ pursed his lips.

**He tried to imagine the purpose of such a thing, and he didn't know which guess was worse—that they were being sealed in or that they were being protected from something out there.**

"Wait till you hear what the grievers are like, you will just love them." _Minho _once again said in his sarcastic way.

**The thought ended his brief moment of calm, stirring in his mind a million possibilities of what might live in the maze outside, all of them terrifying. Fear gripped him once again.**

"I thought boys are meant to brave" Teresa questioned with a smirk on her face.

"Being brave and being fearless are not the same things" Newt answered for the other boy, making everyone turn to look at him.

"**Come on," Chuck said, pulling at Thomas's sleeve a second time. **

"**Trust me, when night time strikes, you want to be in bed." **

**Thomas knew he had no other choice. He did his best to suppress everything he was feeling and followed.**

"That's the end of the chapter" _Gally _said.

"I will read" Chuck offered and the book was passed to him. "Chapter 5"

* * *

_**I absolutely beg you guys, please review because the more reviews I get the more inspiration I have to write the next chapter, so it will be up sooner. **_

_**And after you've reviewed, you've now had many clues as to who it is Janson is talking about so please take the poll on my profile!**_

_**PLEASE REVIEW!**_


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